MASTER 
NEGA  TIVE 

NO.  92-80525 


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AUTHOR: 


CHURCH,  ALFRED  JOHN 


TITLE: 


CARTHAGE.  WITH  THE 
COLLABORATION  OF .. 

PLACE: 

NEW  YORK 

DA  TE : 

1904 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DEPARTMENT 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC  MICROFORM  TARGET 


Master  Negative  # 
<^5-  Bo^X5-  1 


Original  Material  as  Filmed  -  Existing  Bibliographic  Record 


88U.9 


Church,  Alfred  Jolin,   I629-I912. 

Carthage.     With  the  collaboration  of  Arthur 
Gilman.     New  York,   Putnam,   1904. 

>!>:,   309  p.      illuG.,  maps.      (The  stoi-y  of 
the  nations) 


Restrictions  on  Use: 


1.   Carthage  -  Hist.     J.   Gilman,  Arthur, 
1837-1909.     I.  Story  of  the  nations. 


■'-7  f^ 


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story  of  the  Nations 

A  Series  of  Historical  Studies  intended  to  present  in 
graphic  narratives  the  stories  of  the  different 
nations  that  have  attained  prominence  in  history. 


In  the  story  fonii  the  current  of  each  national 
life  is  distinctly  indicated,  and  its  piclnrcsque  and 
notevvortliy  periods  and  epi>Oiles  are  presented  for 
the  reader  in  their  philuso|)hical  relations  to  each 
Other  as  well  as  to  univer^al  history. 


12%  Illustrated,  cloth,  each 
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FOR   FULL   Ll^r    SFF    1M>    UF   THIS   VOLUME. 


CARTHAGE 


|M^L^bMI^(»J 

)« 

wWI 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS 


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CARTHAGE 


BY 


ALFRED  J.  CHURCH,  M.A. 

.KO.  E.^UK  UK  LATIN  IN   rx.VE.s.TV  OLI.EOK,  LONDON  ;  AUTHOR  OF 
"Sli'Kll-^  I-KOM   HOMEK,      hTC. 


WITH  THE  COLLABORATION  OF 

ARTHUR  GILMAN.  M.A. 


AUTHOR 


i  OF  "THE  i,TOKY  OF  HOME,"  "  HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN 


PEOPLE,      ETC. 


NEW  YORK 

G.  P.  PUTNAM^S  SONS 

LONDON:  T.  FISHER  UNWIN 
1904 


% 


x«9 


WITHDRAWN 


COPYRir.IIT 

By  G.  p.  Pi;  1  nam's  Sons 
1886 

Enien-'i  at  Sfafuffters'  Hall,  Londm 

By  T.  1  iMiER  UNwm 


.,,  I  tifll! 


PREFACE. 


It  is  difficult  to  tell  the  story  of  Carthage,  because 
one  has  to  tell  it  without  sympathy,  and  from  the 
standpoint  of  her  enemies.  It  is  a  great  advantage, 
on  the  other  hand,  that  the  materials  are  of  a  manage- 
able amount,  and  that  a  fairly  complete  narrative  may 
be  given  within  a  moderate  compass. 

I  have  made  it  a  rule  to  go  to  the  original  authori- 
ties. At  the  same  time  I  have  to  express  my  obliga- 
tions to  several  modern  works,  to  the  geographical 
treatises  of  Heeren,  the  histories  of  Grote,  Arnold  and 
Mommsen,  Mr.  Bosworth  Smith's  admirable  "  Car- 
thage and  the  Carthaginians,"  and  the  learned  and 
exhaustive  ''  History  of  Art  in  Phoenicia,  and  its 
Dependencies,"  by  Messieurs  Georges  Perrot  and 
Charles  Chipiez,  as  translated  and  edited  by  Mr. 
Walter  Armstrong.  To  this  last  I  am  indebted  for 
most  of  the  illustrations  of  this  book. 

I  have  had  much  help  also  from  Mr.  W.  W.  Capes' 
edition  of  "  Livy  "  xxi.,  xxii. 

49  9 


X  PREFACEm 

I  have  not  thought  it  necessary  to  discuss  the 
critical  questions  which  have  been  raised  about  the 
Duilian  column  (p.  135).  The  inscription,  as  it  at 
present  exists,  may  be  supposed  to  bear  a  general, 
though  not  a  faithful,  resomblance  to  the  original. 

Had  LEY  Green, 

May  27,  i8S6t 


k 


r 


CHRONOLOGICAL    TABLE. 


Carthage  founded  by  Dido 

The  Campaigns  of  Malchus 

The  Battle  of  Alalia     . 

First  Treaty  with  Rome  . 

First  Battle  of  I limera 

Second  Treaty  with  Rome        • 

Hannibal  invades  Sicily 

Third  Treaty  with  Rome 

Capture  of  Agriijentum 

Treaty  between  Carthage  and  Dionysius 

Renewal  of  the  War   .... 

Siege  of  Syracuse  by  Himilco. 

Return  of  Himilco  to  Africa 

Mago  invades  Sicily 

Treaty  of  Peace  with  Dionysius 

Renewal  of  the  War         .         . 

Dionysius  attacks  Carthage 

Death  of  Dionysius 

The  Conspiracy  of  Hanno  . 

The  Battle  of  Crimessus  . 

I)eath  of  Timoleon 

Agathocles  defeated  at  Himera 

He  transfers  the  War  to  Africa    . 

He  returns  to  Sicily 

I'yrrhus  invades  Sicily 

He  leaves  Sicily 

Beginning  of  First  Punic  War 

Defeat  of  the  Carthaginian  Fleet  by  Duilius 

Victory  of  Regulus  at  Ecnomus  . 


at  Mylae 


BX. 

850 

480 
440 
410 

406 

397 
396 
396 

393 

392 

383 
368 

367 
340 

339 
337 
310 
310 

307 
278 

276 

264 

260 

256 


Xll 


CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE. 


Landing  of  Regulus  in  Africa  

Defeat  of  Regulus  1))' Xantii>|)us  .... 

The  Siege  of  Lilybt'iim  iH-i^un 

Defeat  of  the  Roman  Flcrt  uuAt-t  Claudius  at  Drepanum 

Hamikar  Barca  comes  into  Sicily 

Death  of  Hannibal 

Defeat  of  Carthaginian  Fleet  by  Catulus  at  /Egusa   .         . 

Conclusion  of  First  Punic  War 

War  of  the  Mercenaries  .         .         .... 

Hamilcar  Barca  invades  Spain 

Dtath  of  Hamilcar  ........ 

A     nation  of  Ilasdrubal  ..... 

Capture  of  Saguntum  by  Hannibal  and  Commencement  of 

Funic  War 

Battles  of  Ticinus  and  Trebia 

Battle  of  TraNuniennus . 

Battle  of  Cannae  ..,.,.. 

Harmibal  winters  in  Capua 

Roman  Conquest  of  Syracuse 

Hannibal  takes  Tarenturn         .  .         .         .         . 

Defeat  and  Deatli  of  tlie  Scipii'^  m  >{)aui     . 
Hannibal  marches  on  Rome     lall  of  ("ainia     . 

Fublius  Scipio  j^oes  to  S[)aiu 

He  cai)tute^  Xiw  Carthage 

Death  of  Marcfllus     ....... 

Hasdrulml  en  tits  Italy 

His  defeat  at  Metaurus         ,•.... 
Scipio  sails  to  Africa        ....... 

Hannibal  returns  lu  (  arthage 

Defeat  at  Zaina        ........ 

End  of  Second  Punic  War 

Death  of  llaiinil)al  ....... 

Roman  Fnd)as>y  at  Carthage 

The  Thinl   i'tuiic  War  begins          .         .         .         ,        . 
Fall  of  Carthage 


241- 


•  • 


Second 


>         * 


• 


•         • 


256 

249 
249 
247 
247 
241 
241 
236 
236 
229 
221 

218 

218 

217 

216 

215 

212 

212 

211 

211 

210 

209 

208 

207 

207 

204 

203 

202 

201 

183 
174 
149 
146 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 


\ 


LEGEND    AND    EARLY    HISTORY. 

I. 

The  Legend  of  Dido 

The  building  of  Carthage,  5— Dido  and  /Eneas,  7. 


PACK 


3-8 


II. 

The  Growth  of  Carthage        .        .        .        .9-18 

The  Tyrian   traders,    ii^Malchus  and  Mago,  13— Treaties 
with  Rome,  15— Carthaginian  possessions,  17. 


PART  I L 

CARTHAGE    AND    GREECE. 

I. 

Hamilcar  and  Hannibal       ....         21-34 

Hamilcar's  army,  25— The  fate  of  Hamilcar,  27— Hannibal 
before  Selinus,  29— Attack  on  Himera,  31— Hannibal's  venge- 
ance, 33. 


' 


NBIb 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


II. 


PACE 


Carthage  and  Dionysius  (406-405)         .        .    35-45 

Siege  of  Agrigentum,  37— Execution  of  the  generals,  39— 
Agrigentum  evacuated,  41— Gela  abandoned,  43— The  plague 
It  Carthage,  45. 

III. 

Carthage  and  Dionysius  (397)     .       .        .        46-63 

Siege  of  Motya,  47— Motya  assaulted,  49— Himilco's  ad- 
vance, 51— Battle  of  Catana,  53— Siege  of  Syracuse,  55^ 
Plague  in  Himilco's  camp,  57— Himilco's  escape,  59  — 
Carthage  saved,  63. 

IV. 

The  Last  Struggle  with  Dionysius        .        .    64-69 

Mago  defeated.  65— Defeat  of  Dionysius,  67-The  end  of  rhe 
war,  69. 


V. 


Carthage  and  Timoleon 


70-74 

Timoleon  declares  war  against  Carthage,  71— Battle  of  the 
Crimessus,  73. 


VI. 


Carthage  and  Agathocles        .... 

Agathocles  in  extremities,  77— Agathocles  invades  Africa,  8i 
—  Revolt  of  Bomilcar,  85  —  Pyrrhus,  89— Pyrrhus  leaves 
Sicily,  91. 


75-91 


THE  INTERNAL  HISTORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

I. 

Carthaginian  Discoverers  ....        95-101 

Along  the  African  Coast,  97^(;orillas,  99— A  strange  tale,  loi. 


CONTENTS. 


XV 


II. 


PACE 


The  Constitution  and  Religion  of  Carthage  102-114 

Magistrates  of  Carthage,  103 — Estates  of  the  realm  in 
Carthage,  105  —  Justice  and  religion,  109  —  Carthaginian 
Deities,  113. 


III. 

The  Revenue  and  Trade  of  Carthage    .        1 15-125 

Carthaginian  Mines,    117— Trade,    119 — Ivory  and  precious 
stones,  121 — Art  and  literature,  123 — Wealth  and  luxury,  125. 


PA/^T  IV. 


CARTHAGE   AND    ROME. 

I. 
The  War  in  Sicily  and  on  the  Sea    .        .     129-140 

The  Romans  gain  Messana,  131— Capture  of  Agrigentum,  133 
— Battle  of  Mylx,  137 — Battle  of  Ecnomus,  139. 


II. 


The  Invasion  of  Africa 


141-151 


Defeat  of  Ilamilcar,  143  —  Xantippus,  145  —  Defeat  of 
Regulus,  147 — Horace  on  Regulus,  149  —  Revenge  for 
Regulus,  151. 


III. 


In  Sicily  Again 


152-165 

Roman  Losses  at  sea,  153  —  Roman  disasters,  157  —  The 
Romans  gain  Eryx,  159— Hasdrubal's  successes,  l6l — Battle  of 
i^gates  Island,  163 — Conclusion  of  War,  165. 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


IV, 

Carthage  and  her  IVIerci  xarifs 


PAGE 


Revolt   of  the   mcrcenarits,    167 

Massacre  of  prisoners,  175— End  of  war  with  mercenaries,  177. 


166-177 

of    Utica,    171  — 


Carthage  and  Spain      178-184 

Hamilcar  in  Spain,    179— Hannibal,    iSi— Siege  of  Sagun- 
turi),  183. 


VI. 

From  the  E.mo  to  Iimy    ....        185-194 

Passage  of  the  Rhoiie,  1S7  — Ruulc  over  tlic  Al^i.^,  1S9— Rocks 
split  with  vinegar,  193. 


VII. 

The  First  Campaic.x  in   Italy 

Scipio  retires    to    the    TrelMa,    iqq  —  Scmiironius 
fight,  201 — The  Cartliaginiatis  vict«>riou.s,  205. 


.      195-205 
eager   to 


Trasumennus 

Liike  Trasumennus,   207- 
llannibal's  jiolicy,  211. 


VIII. 

Slaughter  of  the   Romans,    209 — 


IX. 


Fabius  and  his  Tachcs 


212-217 


Hannibal   a   master   uf    sfratai^em,   213 — Fabius   and    Minu- 
cius,  215— Varro  and  i'aullus  m  command,  217. 


CONTENTS. 


XVll 


PACK 


X. 


Canx/f 218-224 

Hannibal's  army,  219— The  struggle,  221— Will  he  march  on 
Rome  ?  223. 

XI. 

AfIER   CANNiE 225-231 

Mago  at  Carthage,  227— Hannibal's  prospects,  229— Taren- 
tum  gained,  231. 


XII. 
The  Turn  of  the  Tide      ....        232-244 

Attempted  relief  of  Capua,  233  -Capua  lost  to  Hannibal,  235— 
Cartilage  lose>  Sicily,  237  — Roman  successes  in  Spain,  239 — 
Death  of  the  Scipios,  241— Capture  of  New  Carthage,  243. 


XIII. 

The  Last  Chance  of   Victory 


245-252 


The  death  of  Marcellus,  247— Nero's  great  march,  249— Ode 
from  Horace,  251. 


XIV 
rm:  T.a<=t  Strccgle 253-264 

Scii'io  and  Syphav,  257— Hannibal  recalled,  259— Zama,  261 
— Terms  of  peace,  263. 


XV. 

Hannibal  in  Exile 265-271 

Hannil)al  with  Antiochus,  267— Hannibal  in  Bithynia,  269 — 
(Character  of  Hannibal,  271, 


iilllliilW     Hj  UBOiltt 


xvm 


CONTENTS. 


rAOK 


XVI. 

The  Beginning  of  the  End 


272-279 

Cato's  hostility  to  Carthage,  273— Africanus  the  Younger,  275 
—Expedition  against  Carthage,  277— War  declared,  279. 


XVII. 

The  Siege  and  Fall  of  Carthage        .        .     280-301 

The  walls  of  Carthage,  281— The  Romnns  lose  their  ally  Masi- 
nissa,  285— Scipio  in  command,  2S9  -Attack  on  the  Mc- 
gara,  293 — Engagements  between  the  Heels,  295— Fighting 
in  the  city,  297— Successors  of  Carthage,  301. 


Index  . 


303 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

CROSSING  IHE  ALPS Frontispiece 

CARTHACINI  VN   STELE   FROM    SULCI    (SARDINIA).    .  .  1 6 

11  AN     AND    SECTION     OF    A    CARTHAGINIAN    TOMB    AT 
MALTA  

PIKKNKTAN  SARCOPHAGUS  FOUND  AT  SOLUNTE  (SICILY) 

oNK   OF    THE  TOW  KRS   OF    I  K\  X         .... 

t  akiha(;inl^n  plattkk- silver    .... 

I  hi:   WALL  OF   MOTYA 

VollVi.    BAS-RELIEF  TO   PFRSEPHONE       . 

AI  KK  AN   AQUEDUCT 

RURAL  CISTERNS 

PI  AN    OF  THE   RUINS   OF   UTICA         .... 
VOIIVK   STELE   FROM    CARTHAGE  (HIPPOPOTAMUS) 

VolIVK    SIELE  TO  TANIT 

A    >1 KLL    TO   TANIT  ...... 

VOTIVE  STELE  TO  TANIT   FROM   CARTHAGE     . 
VOTIVE   STELES    FROM    CARTHAGE    .... 

CARTHAGINIAN   COIN 

CARTHAGINIAN   COIN    (ELECTRUM) 


17 

23 
36 
40 
48 
61 

79 
83 
87 
98 

107 
no 
III 
113 

"5 
116 


<A.#L 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATJOXS, 


CARTHAGINIAN  COIN   (SILVER)  .... 

VOTIVE   STELE   FROM  CARTHAGE      .... 

WRITING-CASE 

VOTIVE  STELE   (BULL) 

Dl'II-IAN   COLUMN       ....... 

RESERVOIRS  OF  CARTHAGE 

(  i  SECTION   OF  CISTERN    WALL.      (FROM    DAUX) 

SI'ELE  AT   LILVIL€UM 

<ni\;   THE  TEMPLE   A\I»    RAM  IRAKIS   (iF    EkVX        . 

r  I'EMCLVN   WALL   A  I'    fKW 

lOMERN    IN   THi:    W  AI  I     of    IRVX 

PLAN   OF   HARBOUR    AT'    L  I  ICA, 
MAR  OF   PEMXsn.A    OF   CAkrHAt.L 

CROSSING    I  HE   AI  JS 

ii'ALIA    SEPTENTRIOXALIS 

TREBIA 

ITALIA   MER I  DION  A  LIS 

THE  TRIPLE   WALL   OF   TKAI'si  .,       .... 

THE  G R EAT  WA L L   A  r    i  1 1 A I •>( ' s 

PORT  OF  CARTH  V(.l.     1  R(  >M    -Ak(  ncn A(;[  1 

TH E   HA  R BOU  R S   < )  !•    t  A  K  I  1  i  \ .  ,  I       \  ^  v  -  ■  ix  i .  t  \  i ,    i  ( .    ] ;  |  i " 

HARBOURS  OF  CARTH  \'.  I       \*-.kl.IX',     M     OATX) 

ARRANGEMENTS      OF       I  HE      L1RIII>       ACCUkDiXG 

JO  Xlr  \J  Mm*  aZsl  *■■*••*■ 

PLAN  OF  WALL   AT   BYRSA 

AFRICAN  COLISEUM 


LK) 


TO 


PAGE 
Il6 

121 

123 
124 

135 
142 

U3 

155 

159 
161 

162 

ID9 

191 
197 
203 


-33 


281 
283 

287 

293 

293 
299 


PART  I. 

LKGi:XD  AND  !■  ARLY  H1ST0R\ 

I.--THF  Ln,KM»  OF  Dido. 
IL— The  c;rowth  ov  Carthage. 


Unfortunatfly  w     '      .\v  very  little  about  the  history  of  this 

■  ';  and  tti;it   uKic  i>  (lifticult  to  assi^ni  to  any  p.irti'-uhr 

iim%..  Our  cl'ii-t  ;inthor!tirs  arc  Justin,  a  writer  of  uiu;ci;ain 
date,  w.io  wrolc  .ui  cjutouic  of  an  earlier  work  ci»uiposeil  by 
one  Troji^nis  !'  uis  (li.c.  .S5   15  ?)  ;  and  i'olybius,  wh< 

as  the  text  ( ti   lul  ircalie^  made  httwt         ' '  irthage  and  Koine 
Of  Folybius  we  bhall  have  sotneihing  lu  ::>j.y  hereafter. 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


THE  LEGEND  OF  DIDO. 

"  Malgernus,  King  of  Tyre,  died,  leaving  behind 
him  a  son,  Pygmalion,  and  a  daughter,  Elissa  or  Dido, 
a  maiden  of  singular  beauty.      Pygmalion,  though 
he  was  yet  but  a    boy,   the   Tyrians    made    their 
king     Elissa  married  Acerbas,  whom  some  also  call 
Sichaius,  her  mother's  brother,  and   priest  of  Her- 
cules.   Among  the  Tyrians  the  priest  of  Hercules 
was  counted  next  in  honour  to  the  king.     Acerbas 
had  great  wealth,  which  he  was  at  much  pains  to  hide, 
so  that,  fearing  the  king,  he  put  it  away,  not  in  his 
dwelling,  but  in  the  earth.     Nevertheless  the  thing 
became  commonly  known.     Thereupon   King    Pyg- 
malion, being  filled  with  covetousness,  and  heeding 
not  the  laws  of  man,  and  having  no  respect  to  natural 
affection,  slew  Acerbas,  though  he  was  brother  to  his 
mother  and  husband  to  his  sister.     Elissa  for  many 
days  turned  away  her  face  from  her  brother,  but  at 
last,  putting  on  a  cheerful  countenance,  feigned  to  be 
reconciled  to  him.     And  this  she  did,  not  because  she 
hated  him  the  less,  but  because  she  thought  to  fly 
from  the  country,  in  which  counsel  she  had  for  abettors 


4  THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

many  nobles  of  the  city,  who  also  were  greatly  dis- 

I)lcasc(l  at  the  king.     With  this  purpose  she  spake  to 
P)ginali()n,       /iiig,  *I    have  had  enough  of  sorrow. 
I ,et  inc  come  and  dwell  in  thy  Ivhhc,  that  I  be  no 
more  reminded  of  my  troubles.'     Tliis  tlie  king  heard 
with   great  joy,  thinking   that  with   his    sister  there 
would   also  come  into  his  hands  all  the  trci^un  s  of 
iVcct  bds.      liut  wlicn  he  sent  his  servants  to  bring  his 
sister's  [)o         'ons  to  his  palace  she  won  them  over 
to  herself,  so  that  thcv*  became  i)art;dxers  of  her  flight. 
Having  thus   put  all  lier  riches  upon  shi{)l)  > ml,  and 
takintJ  with  her  also  such  of  the  citizens  a-   "ivoured 
her,  she  set  sail,  first  duly  performing  sdci  nice  to  Her- 
cules.    And  first  she  voyaged  to  Cyprus,  where  the 
priest  of  Jupiter,  being  warned  of  the  gods,  offered 
himself  as  a  sharer  of  her  enter {)rizc  on  this  condi- 
tion, that  he  and  his  posterity  should  hold  the  high 
priesthood   for   ever  in   the    city    which    she    should 
found.     From  Cyprus    also  she   carried  off  a   com- 
I)an\'    of    maidens,    that    they    might    be    wives    for 
her   i>eople.     Now  when    Pygmalion    knew  that  his 
siste:   liad  tied  he  w;is  very  wroth,  and  would  have 
pursued  after  her  and  slain  her.     Nevertheless,  being 
cvercDme  by  the  ciiiieaties  of  his  mother,  and    >et 
more   by  fear  of  vengeance   from   the   gods,    he  let 
her  go  ;  for  the  prophets  prophesied,  '  It  will  go  ill 
with  thee,  if  thou  hinder  the  founding  of  that  which 
shall  be  the  most  fortunate  cit\'  in  the  whole  world.* 

"  After  these  things  Queen  Elissa  came  to  Africa, 
and  finding  that  the  people  of  those  parts  were  well 
aflfected  to  strangers,  and  had  a  special  liking  for 
buying  and  selling,  she  made  a  covenant  with  them. 


TfiE    BUILDIXG    OF   CARTPlAGE. 


huving  a  piece  of  land,  so  much  as  could  be  covered 
uiihthe  hide  of  an  ox,  that  she  might  thereon  refresh 
her  comi)aiiions,  who  were  now  greatly  wearied  with 
iheir  \  owij^e.  This  hide  she  cut  into  small  strips  that 
>Iie  might  thus  enclose  a  larger  })iece.  And  after- 
wards the  j)lace  was  called  Hyrsa,  which  is,  being 
interpreted,  the  Hide. 

"  lo  this  i)lace  came  many  of  the  people  of  the  land, 
bringing  merchantlize  for  sale  ;  and  in  no  great  space 
of  time  there  grew  up  a  notable  town.  The  people 
ot  L'tu  ,1  also,  which  city  had  been  before  founded  by 
the  men  of  Tyre,  sent  ambassadors,  claiming  kindred 
with  these  new  comers,  and  bidding  them  fix  their 
abode  in  the  same  place  where  they  themselves  dwelt. 
But  the  barl)arous  people  were  not  willing  that  they 
sliould  dei)art  from  among  them.  Therefore,  by 
common  consent  of  all,  there  was  built  a  fair  city,  to 
which  the  builders  gave  the  name  of  Carthage;  and  it 
w.is  agreed  between  Elissa  and  the  people  of  the  land 
that  she  should  pay  for  tlie  ground  on  which  the  said 
eit\  was  founded  a  certain  tribute  by  the  year.  In 
the  first  place  where  they  were  minded  to  lay  the 
foundations  of  the  city  there  was  found  the  head  of 
m  ox.  Of  this  the  soothsaxcrs  gave  this  interpreta- 
iH'u,  saying,  'This  signifieth  a  fruitful  land,  but  one 
tliat  is  full  of  labour,  and  a  city  that  shall  ever  be  a 
^'  r\  ant  to  others.'  Therefore  the  city  was  moved  to 
another  place,  where,  w  hen  they  began  to  dig  founda- 
tions again,  there  was  found  the  head  of  a  horse. 
Thereupon  the  prophets  prophesied  again  :  *  This 
shall  be  a  powerful  nation,  great  in  war,  and  thL 
foundation  augurcth  of  victory.' 


b  THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

"After  these  thinji^s,  the  city  ^Tcatly  flourishing  and 
the  beautv  .»f  (Juecii    I^lissa    ft )r  she  was  very  fiiir) 
being  spreati  ahr<»a(l,  larbas,  King  of  tlic  Moors,  sent 
for  the  cliicf  men  of  Carthage  to  come  to  him  ;  and 
when    they  were   come   lie   said,   '  Go   back    to   the 
Uuccn,  and  say  that  I  demand  her  hand  in  marriage; 
aiid  if  she  be  not  willing,  then  I  will  make  war  upon 
her  and   her  city/      These  men,  fearing   to  tell  the 
matter  plainly  to  the  (Jueen,  conceived  a  crafty  device. 
*  King  larbas.'  said  they,  *  desireth  to  fmd  some  one 
who  shall  teach  his  people  a  more  gentle  manner  of 
lite  ;  but  who  shall  be  found  that  will  leave  his  own 
kinsfolk  and  go  to  a  barbarous  people  that  are  as  the 
beasts  of  the  field  ? '    The  Queen  reproved  them,  saying, 
'  No  man  should  refuse  to  endure  hardness  of  life  if  it 
be  for  his  country's  sake  ;  nay,  he  must  give  to  it  his 
very  life,  if  need  be/      Then    said    the   messengers, 
*Thou  art  judged  out  of  thine  own  mouth,  O  Queen. 
What  therefore  thou  counscllest  to  others  do  thyself, 
if  thou  wouldst  serve  thy  country.'    B\'  tiiis  subtlety  she 
was  entrapi)eil,  uliich  when  she  had  perceived,  first  she 
called  with  mucli  lamentations  and  inanv'  tears  on  the 
name  of  her  husband  Acerbas,  and  then  affirmed  that 
she  was  ready  to  do  that  which  the  will  of  the  gods  had 
laid    upon    her.     *  But    first,'  she  said,  *  give  me  the 
space  of  three  months  that  I  may  lament  my  former 
estate.'     This  being  granted  to  her,  she  built,  in  the 
furthest  part  of  the  city,  a  great  pyre,  whereupon  she 
might  offer  sacrifices  to  the  dead,  and  appease  the 
shade   of  Acerbas   before   that   she  took  to  herself 
another  husband.    Upon  this  pyre,  having  first  offered 
many  sheep  and  oxen,  she  herself  mounted,  having  a 


DIDO   AND   .ENEAS.  y 

sword  in  her  hand.  Then  looking  upon  the  people 
that  was  gathered  about  the  pyre,  she  said,  *  Ye  bid 
me  go  to  my  husband.  See  then,  for  I  go.'  There- 
upon she  drave  the  sword  into  her  heart,  and  so  fell 
dead." 


Such  was  the  legend  of  the  founding  of  Carthage 
as  Virgil  found  it  when  he  was  writing  his  great 
poem,  the  . /w/^7^/.  He  took  it,  and  boldly  shaped  it 
to  suit  his  own  purposes.     This  is  how  he  tells  it. 

"/Eneas,  saved  by  the  gods  from  the  ruin  of  Troy  to 
be  the  founder  of  Rome,  comes  after  many  wander- 
ings to  the  island  of  Sicily,  and  thence  sets  sails  for 
Italy,  the  land  which  has  been  promised  to  him.    But 
Juno,  who  cannot  forget  her  wrath  against  the  sons 
( >f  Xroy,  raises  a  great  storm,  which  falls  upon  his 
fleet  and  scatters  it,  sinking  some  of  the  ships,  and 
driving  the  rest  upon  the  shore  of  Africa,  near  to  the 
place  where  Elissa,  who  is  also  called  Dido,  had  newly 
founded   her  city  of  Carthage.     By  her  he  and  his 
companions  are  hospitably  received.     But  this  is  not 
enough  for  Venus,  his  mother.      '  For,'  says  she  to 
herself,  'haply  the  mind  of  the  Queen  and  her  people 
will  change  concerning  my  son,  and  they  will  deal 
unfriendly  with  him  and  the  men  of  Troy.'     There- 
upon she  devises  this  device.  She  causes  her  son  Cupid, 
or  Love,  to  take  upon  him  the  shape  of  Ascanius,  the 
young  son  of  ^neas  ;  but  Ascanius  himself  she  carries 
to  her  own   bower  in  Cyprus,  and  there  lulls  him  to 
sleep.     Meanwhile  ^neas  is  entertained  by  the  Queen 
at  a  great  banquet,  and  tells  the  story  of  the  fall  of 
Troy  and  of  his  wanderings  ;  and  as  he  tells  it,  the  false 


o 


THE   STORY  OF   CARTHAGE. 


Ascanius  sits  in  thc()uceii's  Lip,  rind  l)rcathcs  into  I  ,r 
heart  the  s{)irit  of  love.  After  this  comes  Juno  to  \'ei!  ;s, 
and  sa\  s  tcj  her:  '  Why  shoiih 1  there  be  enniit}'  between 
mc  and  tlice  ?  I  love  Cartlia<;(%  .md  thou  lovest  the 
men  of  IVoy.  Ix*t  us  make  an  a;^iccinent  that  these 
two  may  join  tc )^ethcr  in  one  ihy  :  and  t< >  this  end 
let  Dido  take  Jjieas  for  her  husband.'  To  this  Venus 
gave  her  assent  ;  and  so  it  was  contrived. 

"But   tlie   thinj^   [)leasi:d    not    Jui)iter  that    /luu-as 
should  s( >  for;.iet  tlie  '        s  to  wliidi  lie  was  called. 

Therefore  he  called  Mercury,  that  was  iiis  mcssen^i^^er, 
find  said  to  him:  *(io  to  the  'I'rojan  chief  where  he 
now  liii,^<  1-  at  CarthaL;e,  fori^ettin;^  the  city  which  he 
must  build  in  It;dy.  and  tell  liim  that  he  must  make 
ready  to  dei)art.'  So  Mercury  bore  the  message  to 
^Eneas  ;  and  /Ivncas  knew  that  the  will  of  the  i,^ods 
was  that  he  should  depart,  and  biidc  his  coin[)anions 
forthwith  make  ready  the  sliips.  This  thcv  did  ;  and 
when  the  time  came,  though  it  was  s(ii,  1\  against  his 
will,  yluieas  (lei)artcd,  knowing  tliat  he  could  not  re- 
sist tlie  will  of  the  gods.  And  when  Dido  saw  that 
he  was  gone,  she  bade  them  build  a  it  |)vre  of 

wood,  and  mounting  upon  it,  slew  herself  with  the 
very  sword  which  /Eneas  had  left  in  her  chamber." 


II. 


THE  GROWTH   OF   CARTHAGE. 


I  HAVK  said  that   it  was  a  bold  change  by  which 
Virgil  sought  to  shape  the  legend  of  Elissa  or  Dido 
to  suit  the  purpose  of  his  own  poem.     Bold  indeed  it 
was,  for  he  brings  together  in  the  Oucen  of  Carthacre 
and  the  Hero  of  Tro\^  persons  w ho  must  haxe  been 
sei)aratcd  from  each  other  in  time  by  more  than  two 
lumdred  years.     Ascanius.  he  tells  us  himself  in  the 
/luieid,  was  to  found  Alba,  and  at  Alba  the  kingdom 
should    remain    for    three    hundred    years,    till    the 
])riestess  of  Vesta  should  bear  a  son   to  Mars,  who 
should  found  the  great  city  of  Rome.     There 'must 
therefore  have  been  more  than  three  hundred  years 
between    the  coming   of  /Eneas   into   Italy  and  the 
founding  of  Rome.     But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  was 
commonly  agreed  that  Carthage  was  not  a  hundred 
>XNirs  older  than  Rome.      If  we  are  to  follow  Justin, 
from  whom  I  have  taken  the  legend  told  in  the  first 
chapter,  its  foundation  may  be  put  in  the  year  850 ; 
but  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  this  date  is  as  cer- 
tain as  that  of  the  Declaration   of  American   Inde- 
pendence, or  that  of  the  Battle  of  Waterloo. 

The  legend  tells  us  that  the  first  founders  of  Car- 
thage  came  from  Tyre.     Very  likely  this  is  true  ;  it 


10 


THE   STORY   OF  CARTHAGE, 


is  certain  that  they  belonged   to  the  nation  of  which 
Tyre  was  the  chief  city,  the  Ph( enicians.    This  people 
dwelt  in  the  little  strip  of  land    not  much  larger  than 
the  American    State  of   New    Hani[)shirc,  or   about 
twice  the  size  of  the  FInglish  county  of  Yorkshire) 
which  is   called    Palestine,  and    which  occui)ics    the 
south-eastern  corner  of  the  Mediterranean  coast.    The 
inland  tribes  of  this  people,  who  are  known  to  us  in 
the  Bible  history  under  the  name  of  Canaaiiitcs,  were 
subdued  and  nearly  destroyed  by  the  Hebrews,  when, 
after  their  escape  from  slavery  in  Kgypt,  they  invaded 
the    country    about    fourteen    hundred    \(  irs    before 
Christ.      But    many   of  the   dwellers   of    the   coast 
remained  unsubdued.     In  the  south  were  the  Philis- 
tines with  their  five  cities,  almost  alwavs  at  war  with 
their  Hebrew  neighbours,  somcti.nes  ah.ost  conquer- 
ing  them,*  anc 1  sometimes,  as  in  the  da\  s  of  David 
and   Solomon,  paying  tribute.     In   the  north,  again, 
were  the  great  cities  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.     Ik^tween 
these  and  the    Hebrews   there  seems   to   ha\e  been 
commonly  friendship.     They  were  a  nation  of  sea- 
men and  traders,  and  they  had  to  im|)ort  the  food  ^ 
which  they  did  not  wish,  or  perhaps  were  not  able,  to 
grow  for  themselves.     For  this  food  they  paid  either 
with  the  produce  of  their  own  irtists  and  handicrafts- 


'  Thus  we  read  li  Sam  icl  xiii.  >  tliat  the  Israelites  were  obliged  to 
go  down  to  the  I'hilistinex  u^  sharpen  their  tcx^ls,  and  that  only  the 
king  and  the  king's  son  po-         d  >vvord  and  spear. 

*  Thus  we  find  SoIdmioh  (Kiyuig  Hiram,  kin^  of  Tyre,  for  the  help 
that  he  had  given  in  the  building  of  the  I  emple  with  wine  and  oil.  And 
more  than  a  thousand  years  after,  the  men  of  Tyre  are  unwilling  to 
remain  at  enmity  with  King  Herod,  because  their  country  is  "  nourished 
from  the  king's  country." 


THE   TYRIAN   TRADERS, 


11 


men,  with  timber  cut  in  the  cedar  forest  of  Lebanon, 
or  work  in  bronze  and  iron,  or  rich  purple  dyes,  or 
with  merchandize  which  they  had  themselves  im- 
ported. As  traders,  indeed,  they  travelled  very  far, 
and  while  seeking  new  markets  in  which  to  buy  and 
sell,  they  made  great  discoveries.  They  went  as  far 
south,  some  say,  as  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  certainly 
as  far  as  Sierra  Leone  ;  and  as  far  north  as  Britain, 
from  which  they  fetched  tin,  and  probably  copper. 
I^ut  I  shall  have  more  to  say  of  this  hereafter.  It 
u  as,  however,  chiefly  the  coasts  of  the  Mediterranean 
that  they  were  accustomed  to  visit  ;  and  along  these 
it  was  that  they  established  their  trading  posts.  It 
is  the  story  of  the  most  famous  of  these  posts  that  I 
have  now  to  tell. 

The  word  Carthage— in  Latin  Cart/ia£-o/ Sind  in 
Greek  A7^;r^v/^w— contains  in  another  form, changed  to 
suit  European  tongues,  the  word  Kirjath,a  name  fami- 
liar to  us  in  the  Bible  in  the  compounds  Kirjath-Arba 
and  Kirjath-Jearim.i  Kirjath  means  "Town,"  and  the 
name  by  which  Carthage  was  known  to  its  own 
inhabitants  was  Kirjath  -  Hadeschath,  or  the  "New 
Town  "—?ieu\  to  distinguish  it  either  from  the  old 
town  of  Tyre,  from  which  its  settlers  had  come  forth, 
or  from  the  older  settlement  of  Utica,  older  by  nearly 

'  These  resemblances  of  Carthaginian  and  Hebrew  names  are  very 
nicresting,  and  show  us  how  close  was  the  kindred  between  the  Jews 
and  the  Canaanite  or  Phoenician  tribes,  enemies  to  each  other  though 
itu  y  mostly  were.  The  chief  magistrates  of  the  city,  for  instance,  had 
the  title  of  Shophetim,  the  Hebrew  word  fur  "judges,"  which  the 
Romans  changed  into  Suffetes.  One  of  the  Hamilcars  agam,  of  whom 
I  shall  have  to  speak  hereafter,  bore  the  surname  of  Barca,  and  Barca 
is  the  same  as  the  Hebrew  Barak,  or  "  lightning.** 


12 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


three  hundred  years,  w  hich  lay  about  fifteen  miles  to 
the  north-west. 

The  "  \c\v  Town  "  was  built  in  a  little  bay  of  the 
great  natuial  harbour,  tlic  finest  and  most  com- 
modious th.it  is  to  be  found  along  the  whole  of  the 
north  coast  of  Africa,  wliich  is  now  called  the  Bay 
of  TuniN.'  The  site  ua^  \Kiy  hai)[)ily  chosen.  A 
river,  the  Bagradas  fnow  the  Mejerdai  was  near.^ 
The  land  was  well  watered  and  fertile,  ricli  with  corn 
and  wine  .ind  oil.  It  is  a  |)roof  of  its  natural  ad- 
vantaj^es  that  within  two  (cnturics  of  its  total  de- 
struction,Cartha^^e  l)i'C.:imc  the  third  city  of  the  luni)ire, 
;uul  that  its  modern  success( )r  is  one  of  the  larL;e^t 
ami  most  {)ros|)erous  of  all  the  purely  Maliometan 
cities  ( »f  the  world. 

( )f  the  city's  early  history  we  knou^  very  little  ; 
indeed,  it  nia\'  be  said,  nothing.  More  than  two 
centuries  are  an  al)solute  blank.  We  hear  nothing 
for  certain  of  i^aitliai^c  and  its  doinijs,  thoui^h  we 
may  guess  that  it  was  busv  trading,  and  sometimes 
fighting  with  its  neighbours  and  with  the  inhabitants 
of  the  African  coast,  of  Strijy,  and  of  Si)ain.  Then 
about  the  middle  of  the  .^i.\th  century  lie.  (but  the 
date  is  qulic  inicertainj  we  hear  of  a  certain  king  or 
chief  who  bore  the  name  of  Malchus.3  Malchiis 
made  war  against  the  Ah  i(  an  tril)es  in  the  neighbour 
hood  of  the  c i t } • ,  ai i d  s u  be  1  u e d  man y  o f  t h e m .      h" r ^  > i m 

*  The  present  ritv  a(  th  it  rorm- ,    lU*  a  liitle   to  ilie  soutli- 

ea>t  of  tile  anci>  rtitn-  \v.i>.i   Tums  or   I'lim-s  in  i:Ia>>ical 

times,  1)111  it  was  al  nail  tuwii. 

lis  actual  mouth  was  at  Ulica. 

'  Note  again  the  I lebrew  names.      The  high  priest's  servant  whose 
eas  Peter  cut  off  at  Gethsemane  '*  was  named  Malchus." 


MALCHUS  AND   MAGO. 


13 


Africa  he  crossed  over  into  Sicily,  and  conquered  a 
|)art,  doubtless  the  western  part,  of  the  island.  From 
Sicily,  again,  he  went  on  to  Sardinia.  There  he  was 
beaten  in  a  great  battle.  The  Carthaginians,  who 
were  always  cruel  and  often  unjust  to  their  defeated 

lerals,  condemned  him  to  banishment.  Malchus 
refused  to  obey,  and  led  his  army  against  his  native 
city.  The  magistrates  sent  out  his  son  Carthalo  to 
intercede  with  him,  but  in  vain  ;  Carthalo  w^as  seized 
by  his  father,  and  actually  crucified  in  sight  of  the 
city  walls.  After  a  while  the  city  was  compelled  to 
surrender;  but  Malchus  was  content  with  putting  to 
death  ten  of  his  chief  opponents.  Those  whom  he 
spared  not  long  afteru  ards  brought  him  to  trial,  and 
condemned  him  to  death. 

After  Malchus  came  Mago,  who  still  further  in- 
crcasctl  the  military  power  of  the  city.  I lis  reign  or 
chief  magistrac)' — Carthage  once  had  kings,  but  it  is 
not  easy  to  say  w^hen  the  title  was  abolished  ;  in- 
deed it  is  sometimes  given  to  the  chief  magistrate 
down  to  a  late  period  of  her  history — may  be  said 
to  cover  the  latter  i)art  of  the  sixth  century  B.C.  And 
now^  for  the  first  time,  the  State  takes  a  definite  place, 
in  history.  The  inhabitants  of  Phocaea,  one  of  the 
Greek  colonies  on  the  western  coast  of  Asia  Minor, 
had  fled  from  their  native  city  rather  than  submit 
to  the  rule  of  the  Persians,  binding  themselves  by 
an  oath  never  to  return  till  a  lump  of  iron  which 
they  threw  into  the  harbour  should  rise  to  the  top 
of  the  water.  But  before  they  had  been  long  gone, 
home-sickness  proved  stronger  than  their  oath,  and 
more  than  half  of  them  returned.      The  remain^v* 


14 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTIIAOr. 


TREATIES   WITH  ROME. 


13 


pursued  their  journey  with  their  wives  and  children, 
and  settled  at  Alalia  in  Corsica,  a  place  which  had 
been  already  colonized  by  Greeks,  lliere  they  took 
to  the  trade  of  piracy,  a  more  respectable  employ- 
ment, it  must  be  remembered,  then  than  now.  After 
five  years  the  Carthaginians  and  the  Etruscans,  Rome's 
neighbours  on  the  north,  and  then  an  independent  and 
a  powerful  nation,  combined  against  them.  A  great 
gea-battle  followed.  The  Phocaeans  had  the  sixty 
ships  in  which  they  had  migrated  from  their  native 
town  ;  their  enemies  had  double  the  number,  half 
coming  from  Carthage,  half  from  the  sea-ports  on  the 
I'^trurian  coast.  The  victory  fell  to  the  Greeks  ;  but 
it  was  a  victory  which  was  as  bad  as  a  defeat  ;  for 
they  lost  forty  out  of  their  sixty  shijis,  and  they  were 
compelled  to  leave  their  new  settlenicnt  aiul  to  seek 
refuge  elsewhere.  This  battle  is  supposed  to  have 
happened  in  the  year  536  n c. 

Twenty-seven  years  later  we  hear  of  Carthage 
again.  Polybius  '  tells  us  that  he  had  himself  seen 
in  Rome  copies  of  the  three  treaties  which  had  been 
made  between  that  State  and  Carthaijje.  1  he  oldest 
of  the  three,  written,  he  says,  in  language  so  anti- 
quated that  even  the  learned  could  scarcely  under- 
stand it,  was  concluded  in  the  vear  509,  the  next 
after  that  in  which  the  kini^^s  had  been  driven  out 
from  Rome.  The  provisions  of  this  treaty  are  in- 
teresting. "The  Romans  and  their  allies  shall  not 
sail  bev'ond  the  I%air  Promontor)."  The  **  P'air 
Promontory  "  was  to  the  north  of  Carthage.  Polybius 
thinks    that    the    Romans  were   forbidden    by  this 

•  Sec  the  account  of  him  in  the  Introrluction  to  Part  iv, 


article  of  the  treaty  to  sail  southwards  to  the  country 
of  the  Little  Syrtis  (now  the  Gulf  of  Cabos},  then 
one  of  the  richest  in  the  world,  and  for  that  reason 
called  the  Markets.  It  seems  more  probable  that 
"  be\'ond  the  Fair  Promontory  "  meant  tvestward  of 
it,  and  that  it  was  specially  intended  to  protect  the 
C.ii  thaginian  markets  in  Spain.  "  Merchants  selling 
;^  ill   Sardinia  and  Africa  shall  pay  no  customs, 

Init  only  the  usual  fees  to  the  scribe  and  crier."  The 
Carthaginians,  it  seems,  were,  so  far,  "  free  traders." 
"  If  any  of  the  Romans  land  in  that  part  of  Sicily 
which  belongs  to  the  Carthaginians,  they  shall  suffer 
no  wrong  or  violence  in  anything."  Finally,  Cartha- 
liinians  bind  themselves  not  to  injure  any  Latin  city, 
whether  it  was  subject  to  Rome  or  not.  Some  years 
later — how  many  we  cannot  tell — we  hear  of  another 
tre;ity  made  between  the  same  parties.  The  con- 
ditions  are  now  much  less  favourable  to  Rome.  Two 
other  limits  besides  the  I^air  Proinontory  (unfor- 
tunately we  do  not  know  what  places  are  meant  by 
them)  are  imposed  on  the  Roman  traders.  These, 
two,  are  now  forbidden  to  trade  either  in  Sardinia  or 
Africa.  They  must  not  even  visit  these  countries 
except  to  get  provisions  or  to  refit  their  ships.  In 
Sicily  and  at  Carthage  they  were  allowed  to  trade, 
rile  Carthaginians  claim  the  power  to  take  prisoners 
and  booty  out  of  any  Latin  city  not  subject  to  Rome. 
The  city  itself,  however,  they  must  yield  up.  In  other 
words,  they  were  not  to  get  a  footing  in  Italy.  It 
is  clear  that  in  the  interval  the  power  of  Carthage 
had  increased  and  that  of  Rome  had  decreased. 
The  latter  city  did  indeed  suffer  many  losses  during 


t 


1 6 


THE    STORY    OF    CART!!.,.. 


the  first  liiinflrfMf  tiie  (hiviii-  out  of  the 

kin-^.     :■).;  uiuLii  uc  nui\  ''     ti  the  flatten" n*,^ 

accounts  of  the  Roinan  1  i.m^. 

U-.   can    thu       .  .no    ide.  of  the   pou-er  and 

(lomtninns  of  Cnrthnrr.  ft  lias  pouvt  ,,vcr  iiuich  of 
the  Loan  I  I »i  .  vniL.i,  uiuui;li  it  still  cuntiiiues  to  pay 
a  ground  rent   for  tlic  s( )il  on  uliich  its  capital  was 


CARTH  \r,lM A 


.  E    r  K 


akdima). 


built  We  hear,  indeed,  of  this  i)aymcnt  having  been 
refused  in  the  da\>  cf  llasdrubal  and  llamilcar,  sons 
and  success.  M-^  -  'f  Af  i*t.,  of  i\^q  African  tribes  making 
war  for  the  purpose  v>i  enforcirv^  it,  and  compelling 
the  Carthaginians  to  renew  it.  Sardinia  it  claims  as 
entirely  its  own.  Thi>  island  is  said  to  have  been 
conquered  by  the  Hasdrubal  and  llamilcar  mentioned 


CARTHAGINIAN  POSSESSIONS. 


17 


above,  Hasdrubal  dying  of  his  wounds  in  the  course 
of  the  war.  Of  Sicily  it  has  a  part,  of  which  I  shall 
say  more  hereafter.     Malta  probably  belongs  to  it 


I  •  »  ^  ^a 


Zf\ 


Of  Spain,  which  was  afterwards  to  form  an  important 
portion  of  the  Empire,  for  the  present  we  hear 
nothing. 


il 


1 


i8 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


While    Carthage    was   thus   busy   extending   and 
strengthening  its  dominions,  it  narrowly  escaped    a 
great  danger  from  what  was  then  the  most  powerful 
empire  in  the  world.      In  the  year  525  Cambyses,  the 
second  kmg  of  Persia,  conquered  Egypt,  a  task  which 
he  seems  to  have  accomplished  with  great  ease.      He 
then  looked  about  for  other  countries  into  which  he 
might  carry  his  arms.     The  great  cities  of  Cyrene 
and  Barca,  lying  about  five  hundred  miles  to  the  west 
of  the  mouths   of  the  Nile,  submitted  to  him      He 
thought  that  he  might  push  his  conquests  still  further 
in  the   same   direction  and   make  Carthage  itself  a 
tributary.     But  a  distance  of  two  thousand  miles  and 
more  was  too  much  for  his  army,  and   the  conquest 
would  have  to  be  made  by  his  fleet.      Here  he  met 
with  an  obstacle  which  he  could  not  overcome       The 
fleet  consisted  for  the  most  part  of  Phoenician  ships 
and  the  Phoenicians  refused  to  take  part  in  the  expe-' 
dition.     nVe  are  bound,"  said  they,  "to  the  Cartha- 
ginians by  solemn  oaths.    They  are,  too,  our  children  • 
and  It  would   be  wicked  in  us  to  make  war  against 
them."     The  (ire  t   King  \vas  obliged  to  be  content 
with  this  answer  and  to  give  up  his  scheme. 


PART  II. 
CARTHAGE  AND  GREECE. 

I.— Hamilcar  and  Hannibal. 
n.— Carthage  and  Dionysius  (406-405). 
III.— Carthage  and  Dionysius  (397). 
IV.— The  Last  Struggle  with  Dionysius. 
v.— Carthage  and  Timoleon. 
VI.— Carthage,  Agathocles  and  Pyrrhus. 


I 


Here  our  cWef  authority  h  Diodonis  Siculus,  a  Greek  wnter 

wild  *'  tl.urishfd  "  alioul  lUv  lit'^intiiiij^  of  our  t-ra.  lit-  wa^  a 
native  --f  ^i-  ily,  an-i  in  hi>  riiivrrNal  lii^Kiry,  or  *'  IlisKirical 

Lit»rar\ lu-    >ct•ln^   to   have  calle.!    it    himself,    wrote  an 

account  of  the  uorM  from  the  earliest  lime  down  to  his  own 
day.  With  thiN  woik  lie  took  much  paiii>.  travellinL;  over 
many  of  the  countries  of  which  he  inten.icl  to  write  the 
lii-iMiv,  ami  collectin^r  the  uorL.  of  authofN  who  had  treated 
the  same  suhjetl^  i)efore  him.  Mucli  of  his  History  is  lust, 
but  the  ten  bo  -m  the  eleventli  to  the  twentieth  have  been 

recovered.  A-  f.  u.i>  naturally  very  nuich  interested  in  the 
affairs  of  his  own  island,  he  sc,!n>  to  have  taken  special  pains 
with  this  part  uf  his  work,  which  inchides  the  one  hundre.l 
and    seventy. five    years    from    the    l)e^innin<;    of    the    second 


Persian  war  (4  So  I  down  to  tfi 


;ov      He  liad  before  iiim 


the  licst  .iinhorir  ,  for  m.^tance.  TinKeus,  who  wrote  the 

History  ut  Sicilv  oom  the  earliest  times  down  to  264  (he 
himself  <lied  in  256,  at  the  age  of  ninety-six)  ;  but  he  had  not 
much  judgment  in  using  his  materials.  Still,  his  book  is  of 
very  great  value  for  tlus  j)ortion  of  our  story.  1-  ragments,  too, 
of  the  lost  books  that  f..!lourd  ilie  tvvcntuih  have  l>een 
preserved.  Justm  also  tel  .  something  abcut  this  Imie,  so 
that,  on  the  whole,  wc  have  [.lenty  of  authorities. 


I. 


HAMILCAR   AND   HANNIBAL. 

Sicn.Y  would  naturally  be  the  place  in  which  Car- 
thacre  would  first  seek  to  establish  a  foreign  dominion. 
At  its  nearest  point  it  was  not  more  than  fifty  miles 
distant ;  its  soil  was  fertile,  its  climate  temperate  ;  it 
was  rich  in  several  valuable  articles  of  commerce.  We 
have  seen  that,  in  the  treaty  which  was  made  with 
Rome  about  the  end  of  the  sixth  century  B.C.,  the 
Carthaginians  claimed  part  of  the  island  as  their  own. 
It  is  probable  that  this  part  was  then  less  than  it  had 
l)ccn.  For  more  than  two  hundred  years  the  Greeks 
had  been  spreading  their  settlements  over  the  country  ; 
and  the  Greeks  were  the  great  rivals  of  the  Phoenicians. 
If  they  were  not  as  keen  traders — and  trade  was 
certainl)'  held  in  less  estimation  in  Athens,  and  even 
in  Corinth,  than  it  was  in  Tyre  and  Carthage— they 
were  as  bold  and  skilful  as  sailors,  and  far  more  ready 
than  their  rivals  to  fight  for  what  they  had  got  or  for 
what  they  wanted.  The  earliest  Greek  colony  in 
Sicily  was  Naxos,  on  the  east  coast,  founded  by 
settlers  from  Euboea  in  735.  Other  Greek  cities 
sought  room  for  their  surplus  population  in  the  same 
field  ;  and  some  of  the  colonies  founded  fresh  settle- 
ments of  their  own.     The  latest  of  them  was  Agri- 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


jrentum  on  the  south  coast,  which  owed  its  origin  to 
Gela,  itself  a  colony  of  Cretans  and  Rhodians.  As  the 
Greeks  thus  spread  westward  the  Carthaginians  retired 
before  them,  till  their  dominions  were  probably  reduced 
to  little  more  than  a  few  trading  ports  on  the  western 
coast  of  the  island.  As  long,  indeed,  as  the>'  could 
trade  with  the  new  comers  they  seemed  to  l)e  satisfied. 
They  kept  up.  for  the  most  part,  friendly  relations 
With  their  rivals,  allowing  even  the  right  of  inter- 
marriage to  some  at  least  of  tiicir  cities. 

But  in  point  of  fact  they  were  onh'  waiting  their 
opportunity,    and    the    opfK^rtunity    came    when    the 
Persians  invaded  Greece  for  the  second  time.     Some 
historians    tell    us   that    it    was    agreed    by    the    two 
powersthata  combinedcmjrt  should  be  mad  J.  that  while 
lersia  was  attacking  the  mother-country  of  (irccce, 
Carthage  should  attack  its  imix.rtant  coloints  in  Sicily! 
Others  insist  that  there  is  no  i)roof  of  an\-  such  a-^-ree- 
ment  having  been  made.      It   is  not  e.i>v  to  see  what 
proof  we  could  e.xpect  to  find.     But  there  is  nothing.  I 
think,  im[)robabIe  about  it.     The  Fhienician  adminils 
in  the  service  of  the  Great  King  who  had  refused  to 
obey  Cambvses  when  he  ordered  them  to  sail  against 
their    kinsmen    in    Carthage,    ma)-    very    well    have 
managed  a  matter  of  this  kind.     Anyhow  it  is  dear 
that  Carthage  knew  that  the  opportunitv  had  come 
and  eagerly  seized  it.     One  of  the  fami'l\-  of  Mago' 
Hamilcar   by   name,    was    ai)pointcd   com'mander-Tn- 
chief.      He  set  sail  from  Carthage  with  a  force  which, 
when  it  had  been  joined  by  auxiliaries  gathered  from' 
Sicily  and  elsewhere,  amounted,   it  is  said,  to  three 
hundred  thousand  men.     There  would  hav  c  been  even 


PHCENICIAN  SARCOPHAGUS   FOUND  AT  SOLUNTE  (sICILY). 


hamilcar's  army- 


25 


more   had    not   the   squadron    which   conveyed    the 
chariots  and  the  cavahy  been  lost  in  a  storm.     The 
number   is    probably    exaggerated— the   numbers   in 
ancient  history  are  seldom  trustworthy— but  we  may 
take  as  genuine  the  list  of  the  nations  from  which  the 
army  was  recruited.      The  land-force  consisted,  we 
iiear    of  Phoenicians,  Libyans,   Sardinians,  Corsicans, 
Iberians,  Ligycs,  and  Helisyki.     The  first  four  names 
need    little     explanation.        The    Phoenicians    were 
native   Carthaginians  and  men  of  kindred  race  from 
the  mother-country  of   Phoenicia,  from    Cyprus,  and 
from  other  settlements  on  the  Mediterranean  shore. 
Sardinia,  we  know  from  its  mention  in  the  treaty  of 
50(9,  belonged  to  Carthage  ;  Corsica  had  probably  been 
since   acquired.     The  Iberians  were  Spaniards,  over 
whose  country  Carthage  was  gaining  some  influence. 
The    Ligyes   were    the    Ligurians    from    the    north- 
west  of    the  Italian  peninsula;^    the  Helisyki  may 
have  been    Volscians,   neighbours   of  Rome   on   the 
south-east  and  for   some   time   its   most   formidable 

enemies.  , 

Hamilcar  reached  Panormus  (now  Palermo)  in 
safety  with  the  main  body  of  his  fleet.  "The  war  is 
over,''  he  is  reported  to  have  said,  thinking  that  only 
the  chances  of  the  sea  could  have  saved  Sicily  from 
such  an  army  as  his.  At  Panormus  he  gave  his  army 
three  days'  rest,  and  repaired  his  ships.  Then  he 
marched  on  Himera.  There  he  dragged  his  ships  on 
shore,  and  made  a  deep  ditch  and  a  rampart  of  wood  to 
protect  them.  His  forces  he  divided  between  two  camps. 
The  crews  of  his  fleet  occupied  one,  his  soldiers  the 

» The  modern  Piedmont. 


r 


26 


THl     STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


other.  The  tuo  covered  the  whole  of  the  west  side 
of  tile  city.  A  fV)rc« *  from  the  city  which  encountered 
his  advance  ^uanl  wa.^  driven  in,  and  I'hcron,  the 
t>-rant  of  Aj^ri-( -ntuni,  who  had  been  a[)pointed  to 
trdvc  cornniaml  of  the  i^arrison  by  (ielon  of  SvTacuse, 
tile  most  poucrtul  TTUHiruvli  in  the  island,  sent  off  in 
hot  haste  for  help  Uj  m-  tiuef  ( lelon  iiad  e\er\-thin"- 
read)-,  a  fid  march. -d  at  once  with  an  armv  far  greater 
^'  »ther  (Jreek   state  could   tlien   have  raised, 

tiitv  thousand  infantry  and  five  thousand  horse.  After 
tlu»r<>u-iil\-  fortifvino  the  cami)  wln'cli  he  had  pitched 
ne.ir  tlie  citv,  he  sent  out  In*^  ia\alr;v  to  attack  the 
pculies  of  the  I'artha^i^inians.  These  suffered 
ri  si-rial  (!efe:i!  •  and  tlie  i)eo|)le  of  Mimera  now 
l^reu  ^.»  i..iiiiuL:nt  that  they  actuallv  threw  <)r)en 
the  j4atewa\  >  win'ch,  in  their  detenm'nation  to 
make  a  desi)erate  resistance,  the}'  had  at  hrst  bricked 
up. 

The   conchisive  })attle  was    not  long  dehued.  and 
(lelon  is  said  to  have  won  it  by  the  lieli)  c )f  a   curious 
stratagem.      His  scouts  had   interce{)ted  a  letter  from 
^'i^  P^' >1*1^:'  of  Selinii-:  t-.  llaniilcar,  in  which  there  was 
a  promise  that   tlu  \    would   send   on   a  day  named  a 
Un'cc   ot   cav.drv  to   Ins  .L^sistance.     (ielon  instructed 
^''"1^'    « >*'  his  ( >\\ii   liorsemen   to  i)la>-  the  part  of  the 
c.ivalrv  of  Sehnns      Thev  were  t(»  make  their  way  into 
the  naval    Laiiij)  t n    the  Cartliagim'ans.    and  then  to 
turn   against    tlieir    sui)posed    allies.      A    signal    was 
agreed  U|)()n  uliich  the)'  v\cre  to  show  when  they  were 
re.ulv  to  act.     ( ielon's  scouts  were  |)o.^ied  on  the  hills 
to  watch  for  it,  and  to  communicate  it  to  the  main 
bod}'  of  his  army  in  the  plain.     The  fight  was  long 


THE   FATE   OF  HAMILCAR. 


27 


and  bloody  ;  it  lasted  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  but  the 
Carthaginians    liad    lost  heart,  and  the  Greeks  were 
confident  of  victor)'.     No  quarter  was  given,  and  by 
night,  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men  (it  must 
surely  be  an  impossible  number!)  had  fallen.     The  rest 
tied  to  the  hills,  and  were  there  compelled  by  want 
,)f  water  to  surrender  to  the  people  of  Agrigentum. 
Of  the  fate  of  I lamilcar  nothing  was  ever  certainly 
known.      Some    said  tliat  he  had  been  slain  by  the 
I)retended  allies  from  Selinus  ;  others  that,  being  busy 
with  a  great  sacrifice  at  which  the  fire  was  piled  high 
to  consume  the  victims    whole,  and  seeing   that  the 
fortune  of  the  day  was  going  against  him,  he  threw 
himself  into  the  fiames  and  disappeared.      His  body 
was  never  found,  but  the  Greeks  erected  a  monument 
to  his  memory  on  the  field  of  battle;  and  the  Cartha- 
ginians, though  never  accustomed  to  be  even  commonly 
[ust  to  their  beaten  generals,  [)aid  liim,  after  his  death, 
honours  which  it  became  a  custom  to  renew  year  by 
year.    The  rest  of  the  story  is  curiously  tragic.    Twenty 
ships  had  been  kept  b)'  Hamilcar  to  be  used  as  might 
be  wanted,  when  the  rest  of  the  fleet  was  drawn  up. 
These  and  tliese  only  escaped  out  of  the  three  thou- 
sand vessels  of  war  and  commerce,  which   Ifasdrubal 
had  brought  with  him.     But  even  these  did  not  get 
safe  home.     They  were  overtaken  by  a  storm,  and  one 
little  boat  carried  to  Carthage  the  dismal  news  that 
their  great  army  had  perished.'     The  city  was  over- 

'  Note  how  a  similar  st..rv  i.  lol.l  of  the  return  of  Xerxes  from  Greece, 
after  his  dcfcai  m  the  IVrMan  War.  According  lo  Herodotus  (on 
excellent  authority,  as  he  was  born  in  484,  '-'•  T-ur  years  before  the  war) 
.^.erxes  returned  by  land  with  a  considerable  part  of  his  army  ;  neverthe- 
less me  Roman  poet  Juvenal  writes— 


28 


THE   STORY   OF  CARTHAGE. 


whelmed  with  dismay  and  ^rk(.  An  embassy  was 
at  once  sent  to  ( ielon  to  be<^^  for  peace.  Peace  was 
[granted,  but  on  hard  conditions.  Cartha<:^e  was  to  pay 
a  ransom  of  twu  th( )usand  talents,  to  build  two  chapels 
in  memory  of  the  event,  and,  one  writer  tells  us, 
to  abolish  the  hideous  i)ractice  of  human  sacrifices. 
If  this  last  condition  was  ever  agreed  to,  it  was 
certainly  not  k('|)t. 

It  has  been  said,  and  one  would  like  to  believe, 
that  the  great  battle  of  Himera,  by  which  the  Greek 
colonies  in  Sicily  were  relieved  from  the  pressing 
fear  of  Cartilage,  wa^  fought  on  the  vcr\'  same  day 
on  which  the  I'ersians  were  defeated  at  Salamis. 

Carthage  could  not  ha\'c  been  long  in  recovering 
from  this  loss,  for  we  hntl  her  able  soon  afterwards 
to  dictate  a  treat>^  to  Rome,  but  she  did  not  meddle 
with  Sicilian  affairs  for  maiiv  \ears.  But  in  410  a 
Sicilian  town,  Kgesta,  invited  her  aid  against  their 
neighbours  of  Selinus.^  Both  towns  were  near  the 
Carthaginian  settlements  ;  and  it  was  possible  that 
these  might  suffer,  if  Selinus.  which  was  said  to  be 
the  aggressor,  were  allowed  to  become  too  powerful. 
But  probably  the  desire  to  avenge  the  defeat  of 
seventv'  vears  before  was  the  chief  reason  why  Car- 
thage  i)romised  the  hcl|)  that  was  asked.  It  so 
hapi)ene(l,  toe >,  that  Hannibal,  grandson  of  the  Hamil- 

Ihroui^l!    '      '      •   '      ;,  oVr  hJHows  red  with  gore, 
A  sin«;lf  ^^nii)  me  i >e:ucn  monarch  I't)rc." 

But  then  Juvenal  \vi>lic«I  t<»  point  the  moral  of  "the  vanity  of  human 

wishes." 

'  Curiously  enough  it  was  a  quarrel  !»et\veen  these  same  two  towns 
that  had  l)een  the  immediate  cause  of  the  disastrous  expedition  of 
Athens  against  Syracuse. 


HANNIBAL   BEFORE   SELINUS, 


29 


car  who  had  perished  at  Himera,  was  the  senior  of 
the  two  first  magistrates  of  the  city.  He  had  been 
l)rought  up  in  exile— (or  Gisco,  his  father,  had  been 
banished  after  the  defeat  of  Himera— and  at  this 
very  city  of  Selinus.  "  He  was  by  nature,"  says  the 
historian,  "a  hater  of  the  Greeks,"  and  he  did  all  he 
could  to  persuade  his  countrymen  to  undertake  the 

war. 

After   some   negotiations  which  came  to  nothing, 
Hannibal  sent  a  force   of   5,000   Africans   and    800 
Italian  mercenaries  to  Sicily.     The  army  of  Selinus, 
uhich    w^as    busy    plundering   the   territory   of   their 
enemies,    was    surprised,   and  lost    a   thousand    men 
and  all    the   booty  which   it  had  collected.     Selinus 
now  sent  to  Syracuse  to  beg  for  help,  and  Egesta, 
on  her  part,  made  a  fresh  appeal  to  Carthage.     This 
appeal  was  answered  in  a  w^ay  that  took  the  Sicilians 
by  surprise.     Hannibal  had  collected  a  great  force  of 
Spaniards  and  Africans.  This  he  carried  to  Sicily  in  a 
fleet  of  as  many  as  1,500  transports,  escorted  by  sixty 
ships  of  war.     It  numbered,  according  to  the  smallest 
estimate,    100,000  men,  and  was   furnished  with  an 
nhnndance  of  all  the  engines  used  for  sieges.     The 
-cneral    lost   no    time.      Without  a   day's  delay  he 
marched  upon  Selinus,  invested  it,  and  at  once  began 
the  assault.     Six  towers  of  wood   w^ere  brought  up 
against  the  walls  ;    battering-rams  headed    with  iron 
vvere  driven  against  them,  while  a  multitude  of  archers 
and  slingers  showered  arrows  and  stones  upon  their 
defenders.    The  fortifications  had  been  allowed,  during 
a  long  period  of  peace,  to  fall  out  of  repair ;  and  the 
Italian  mercenaries  were  not  long  in   forcing  their 


JO 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


way  in.  Thr-^c  were  diivcn  out  cii^aln  with  ^rcat  loss, 
ami  for  a  ihir:  tlic  assault  was  suspended.  The 
besicj4c<l  sent  tlieir  swiftcNt  Iiorscmm  to  be<'"  for 
instant  hel])  frr.in  Svracusc,  (.da,  and  A^^rijTentum. 
It  was  proiriiscd  hnt  wliilc  it  was  bcin<,r  prepared 
Hannibal  w.i-.  incv.inii  lus  attack  with  the  utmost 
fury.  A  i^rviit  pan  of  the  wall  was  thiown  down  by 
the  batterinL^-ranis  ;  but  the  people  nf  Sclinus  still 
f^ni<:ht  uith  the  coura<(e  c.f  de-^j-air.  h'ur  nine  days 
ami  ni;^lits  the •  stru.i^;4lc  uc -ut  on,  every  street,  ahnost 
«  linuse,  beiii^;    tierct  ly    c( )ntt'>te(l.      At    hist  the 

numbers  «»(  the  barbarians  f »v('r{)ou('n(l  resistance. 
HrUvrru  tuoand  three  th.-u.and  ( A  the  armed  men 
•■■^^'M'^ '^i  ;  about  twice  as  many  of  both  sexes  were 
made  [>risoncrs  ;  the  iT>t  were  massacred.  As  many 
as  st.xteen  thous.md  bodies  are  said  to  have  been 
counted. 

At    the    very   time   wlien    Sclinus  was   taken,  the 

advance  <;u;ir< 1  of  the  S\iacusan  army  reached  Agri- 

-"eiitum.      The}-   tric(!   to   make   terms    with  the  con- 

(juerorN      \n  emba>>v   vva>  sent  to  I  lannibal,  bceeino- 

mi  to  ransom  tfie  i)ris()ners  and  respect  the  temples 

of  the  gods.     I  lannibid  replied,  *'  Tiie  men  of  Sclinus 

have  not  been  ablr  to  K-rc|)  their  freedom,  and  must 

make   trial   r.l   .slavery.      A-^    for  the  gods,  they  have 

left   Sclinus,  h(in<;   wroth    with  its  inhabitants."     To 

a     ((ond    embass)',   headed    by   a   citizen    who  had 

alwa)'s   been   on    fnendl)-   terms    with    Carthage,   he 

made  a  gentler  answer.     Tlie  survivors  might  return, 

dwell  in  their  cit>-  and  till  their  lands,  i)aying  tribute 

to  Carthage.    The  walls  were  razed  to  the  ground,  and 

according  to  some  accounts,  the  whole  city  was  de- 


ATTACK  ON  HIMERA. 


31 


stroyed.  To  this  day  the  ruins  of  the  temples  show 
the  marks  of  the  crowbars  by  which  the  columns  were 
overthrown. 

Hut  Sclinus  was  not  the  real  object  of  liannibal's 
ex[)cdition.  That  was  to  be  found  elsewhere,  at 
llimera,  where,  seventy  \ears  before,  his  grandfather 
had  i)erished.  To  llimera,  accordingly  (it  lay  on  the 
opposite,  /.r.  the  north  coast,  of  the  island  he  marched 
without  delay.  Forty  thousand  troops  he  posted  at 
some  distance  from  the  cit)%  probably  to  deal  with 
.my  relieving  force  from  the  other  Greek  cities.  With 
the  rest  of  his  arm\\  now  increased  by  twenty  thou- 
sand auxiliaries  from  the  native  Sicilians,  he  sur- 
rounded the  walls. 

He  did  not  intend,  however,  to  wait  for  the  slow 
operation  of  a  blockade,  but  attacked  the  town  as 
fiercely  as  he  had  attacked  Sclinus.  The  walls  were 
biittered  and  undermined,  and  more  than  one  breach 
was  made  in  them.  At  first  he  was  repulsed.  The 
people  of  Himcra  fought  with  all  the  courage  of  their 
race,  and  they  had  the  help  of  four  thousand  soldiers 
from  Syracuse  and  el.sewhere.  The  Carthaginians 
were  driven  back,  and  the  breaches  repaired.  This 
success  emboldened  them  to  attack  the  besiegers. 
Leaving  a  sufficient  force  to  guard  the  walls,  they 
sallied  forth,  and  fell  on  the  hostile  lines.  Taken  by 
surprise,  the  Carthaginians  gave  way.  Their  very 
numbers  were  against  them,  for  they  were  too  closely 
thronged  to  be  able  to  act,  and  suffered  almost 
more,  says  the  historian,  from  each  other  than  from 
the  enemy.  The  assailants,  who  numbered  about  ten 
thousand,  were  roused  to  do  their  best  by  the  thought 


UH 


32 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


of  their  helpless  kinsfolk,  women  and  children  and 
old  men,  who  were  watchini,^  them  from  the  walls. 
At  first  it  seemed  as  if  liimera  w.i^  lo  be  another 
Marathon.  As  man)'  as  six  thousand  of  the  besiegers 
(to  take  the  smallest  and  most  reasonable  computation) 
were  slain.  But  the  pursuit  was  i)ushed  too  far. 
Hannibal  l)rou*,-ht  down  his  army  of  reserve  from  the 
hills  on  which  it  had  been  i)osted,  and  fell  upon  the 
victorirais  (.reeks.  A  fierce  fight  ensued,  but  the 
people  of  II imera  and  their  allirs  were  overpowered. 
The  main  body  of  them  retitaicd  into  the  cit>%  but 
three  thousand  were  unwilling  or  unable  to  leave 
the  field,  and,  after  performing  prodigies  of  valour, 
|)erislied  where  tlie\-  stood. 

At  this  crisis  came  twenty-five  Syracusan  shii)s  of 
war,    which   had   been   taking  i)art    in    tlie  war  then 
being  carried   on   between    .Athens   aiul    Si)arta.     At 
first  the  besieged  were  full  of  hope.     It  was  rumoured 
that,  besides  tlie  slii{)s,  the  Syracusans  were  coming  to 
their  lielp  with  a  le\>'  ev/  f/zassr.      Ikit  then  came  a 
most  disquieting  report.      Hannibal  was  filling,  it  was 
said,  his  own  shi|)s  with  the  |)icked  tmnr^s  of  his  army, 
and   intended  to  fall  upon  S\racusu  wlien  that  city 
should    be    stripped    of    its    able-bodied    men.      The 
Syracusan  commander  darcnl  not  stav  at   H imera  in 
tlie  fiice  of  tliis  alarm.     The  >hi[is  oi  war  must,  he 
said,    sail   home   at   once.      Hut   they    would   take  as 
many  of  the  hel})less  population  of  H imera  as  they 
could  hold.     The  offer  uas  .iccepled  ;  f(M-  dreadful  as 
it  was  thus  to  leave  their  homes,  it  was  the  only  hope 
of  escape  that  the  poor  creatures   had.      The  ships 
were  filled  till  they  could  hold  no  more.     Then  the 


riA XXI B A L 'S    VEXGEAXCE. 


33 


Syracusan  general  marched  out  of  the  town  in  such 
haste,  we  are  told,  that  he  did  not  even  stop  to  bury 
his  own  dead.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  who  could 
not  be  uvvived  on  board  the  ships  accompanied  him 
on  his  march,  i)rcfjrring  this  to  waiting  for  the  return 
of  the  licet  ;  for  this  was  to  come  back  and  carry  off 
the  re>t  of  the  po|)ulation. 

It  was  well  for  them  that  they  did  so.  The  next 
day  the  C.irthaginians  renewed  the  assault.  The 
be-  1  were  sadly  reduced   in  numbers  and  wear)-, 

for  alter  the  battle  of  the  day  before  they  had  spent 
the  night  in  arms  upon  the  walls.  Still  they  held  out. 
All  that  da\'  the  battle  was  kept  up.  On  the  morrow 
the  ships  came  back,  but  at  the  very  moment  of  their 
coming  in  sight  a  great  part  of  the  w^all  was  broken 
down  })y  the  battering-ram.s,and  the  Spaniards  in  Han- 
nib.il's  army  ruslied  in.  A  general  massacre  followed, 
and  was  continued  till  Hannibal  issued  strict  orders 
that  all  that  remained  were  to  betaken  alive.  It  was 
no  feeling  of  nicrc>'  that  prompted  these  orders.  The 
women  and  children  were  divided  among  the  con- 
queror>  ;  the  men  were  taken  to  the  spot  where 
Hamilcar  had  been  last  seen  alive,  and  thereto  the 
number  of  three  thousand  cruelly  slaughtered,  an 
e.\piator\'  sacrifice  to  the  spirit  of  the  dead.  Himera 
itself  w  as  utterly  destroyed.  The  walls  and  houses 
were  razed  to  the  ground  ;  the  temples  were  first 
plundered  and  then  burnt. 

The  rest  of  the  Greek  cities  in  Sicily  must  have 
trembled  lest  the  f^ite  which  had  fallen  on  Selinus 
and  Himera  should  overtake  themselves.  But  for  the 
time,  at   least,  their  fears  were  relieved.     Hannibal 


i| 


mmmmm 


i 


34 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


had  done  what  he  came  to  do,  had  avenged  the 
defeat  of  Himera,  the  death  of  his  grandfather,  and 
his  f^ither's  exile,  and  he  u  as  satisfied.  I le  sent  the 
native  Sicilians  who  had  joined  him  to  their  homes, 
dismissed  many  of  his  mercenaries,  and,  after  leaving 
sufficient  force  to  hold  the  territor>'  which  he  had 
(.ccupied,  carried  tlie  rest  of  his  army  to  Carthage. 
He  brought  with  him  much  spoil  and  many  trophies, 
and  his  countrymen  received  him  with  the  highest 
honours.  He  haa  won  in  a  feu  weeks'  time  victories 
that  surpassed  all  that  had  ever  been  gained  by 
Carthage  before. 


II. 


CARTHAGE  AND   DIONYSIUS   (406-4OS). 

Hannibal's  success  in  Sicily  had  encouraged  the 
Carthaginians  to  hope  that  the  whole  island  might 
yet  be  theirs.  They  resolved  on  making  another 
expedition,  and  appointed  Hannibal  to  the  chief 
command.  At  first  he  declined  the  ofifice,  pleading 
his  advanced  age,  but  consented  to  act  when  Himilco 
son  of  Hanno,  a  kinsman  of  his  own,  was  joined  with 
him  in  the  command.  The  two  generals  sent  envoys 
to  treat  with  the  chiefs  in  Spain  and  the  Balearic 
Islands  ;  they  went  themselves  to  enlist  troops  among 
the  African  tribes  and  in  the  various  Phoenician 
settlements  along  the  coast.  Mercenaries  were  also 
hired  from  other  countries,  and  especially  from  Italy. 
The  Italians  in  Hannibal's  former  army,  thinking 
themselves  badly  treated  by  the  general,  had  taken 
service  with  Syracuse,  and  were,  as  their  late  general 
knew,  a  very  formidable  force.  At  last  in  406— four 
years,  />.,  after  the  first  expedition— the  invading  force 
set  sail.  They  numbered,  on  the  lowest  calculation, 
120,000  ;  one  writer  puts  them  down  at  nearly  three 
times  as  many.  They  were  carried  across  in  more 
than  a  thousand  transports  ;  and  these  again  were 
convoyed  by  a  fleet  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  ships 


V 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


of  war.      The   Grct '       t.ui-lit    1 )>-  experience,  were 

resolved  not  to  be  behintlliand  this  tiiiie  witli  their 
preparatioiH  for  resistance.  i''«>ii\'  C;irtha;_;inian  >h'\\)^ 
had  been  -.ent  ( )n  in  advanct :  to  SiciU'  Ai^ainst  the^e 
the  SyraciH.r  cnt  a  sciuadrDM  of  ( 'tjual  .stren,L;lh. 
'Ihc    two  tieets    ii         near    the    faint )U>    pronionttn}' 


w 


ONF    OF    rilF     rOWFK^   Ol     FKVX. 


of  lu-yx.  After  a  lonf^  strnji^p^le  the  Greek*^  were 
victorions,  and  sank  fifteen  of  the  enemy's  shii)>,  the 
rest  retiring  to  the  African  t.     Hannibal,  hearing 

of  the  reverse,  sailed  out  with  fiftv'  fresh  ships.  Before 
this  new  force  the  S\Tacns'-  <. |uadron  retired.  It  was 
now  evident  that  the  in\.iM( )n  could  not  be  prevented. 


SIEGE   OF  AGRIGENTUM. 


^7 


All  that  remained  was  to  make  the  best  possible 
preparations  for  resisting  it.  S\'racuse  sent  embassies 
begging  for  help  to  the  (ireeks  in  Italy  and  to  Sparta, 
as  well  as  to  all  the  communities  of  the  same  race  in 
the  island.  The  citv  which  felt  itself  most  in  danger 
was  Agrigentum,  th(,^  richest  and  most  populous  place 
in  the  island  after  Syracu.se,  and,  indeed,  scarcely 
inferior  to  that.  The  Agrigentines  lost  no  time  in 
preparing  f( )r  defence.  The)'  engaged  Dcxippus,  a 
Si)artan,  who  was  then  at  Gela  with  a  body  of  1,500 
soldiers,  and  the\'  also  hired  the  Campanian  mer- 
cenaries, eight  hundred  in  number,  who  in  the  former 
in\asioii  had  serxcd  under  Hannibal.  It  w^as  in  May, 
400.  when  the  great  Carthaginian  host  appeared 
lu-fore  their  walls.  1  lannibal  began  by  offering  condi- 
tions ( )f  |)eace.  He  proposed  an  active  alliance;  if 
this  did  not  plea.se  the  Agrigentines,  it  would  be 
enougli  if  thc>-  would  be  friendly  to  Carthage,  but 
take  neither  side  in  the  war  which  she  was  |)re])aring 
to  Wcg'^.  The  Agrigentines,  unwilling  to  desert  the 
cause  of  their  countrymen,  refused  both  offers.  Then 
the  siege  began.  The  town  had  a  very  strong 
position,  which  had  been  carefully  improved.  It  was 
built  on  a  range  of  hills,  rising  in  some  places  to  the 
height  of  more  than  a  thousand  feet.  On  the  slope 
ofthe.se  hills  a  wall  had  been  built,  or,  in  some  places, 
hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  Only  one  place  was 
practicable  for  an  assault.  Against  this  the  Cartha- 
ginian generals  brought  up  their  engines,  especially 
two  tow  crs.  from  w  hich  they  attacked  the  defending 
force  upon  the  walls.  The  fighting  lasted  throughout 
the  day  without   any  result ;    at  night  the  besieged 


38 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


sallied  forth  and  burnt  the  enemy's  engines.  Hanni- 
bal then  determined  to  use  the  stones  of  the  tombs — 
which,  as  usual,  were  outside  the  walls — to  build 
mounds  from  which  he  mii^ht  renew  the  attack.  The 
m(»t  si)lc:iidid  «»f  these  tombs  was  tlie  se[)ulchre  of 
TluTon,  who  had  rei,i,med  in  Aj^^rij^^entum  some  eighty 
)cars  ht  t  .ind  had  borne  a  part  in  rej)elling  the 

fir^t  (  arthaginian  ifivasion.  While  the  men  were 
busy  in  pulling  it  ilown  it  was  struck  with  lightning. 
A  religious  panic  followed,  'llie  sentinels  declared 
that  tlie\'  were  haunted  by  the  si)ectres  of  the  dead 
whose  graves  had  been  violated.  A  i)estilence  broke 
out  in  the  camp.  Great  number^  died,  and  among 
them  1 1  a  1 1  n  i  ba  1  h  i  m  sel  f,  and  t  he  i)rophets  dec  lared 
that  ih  gods  were  thus  sharing  their  wrath  at  the 
im|)iet\-  u  liicli  liad  l)ecn  committed.  I limilco  ordered 
that  no  more  toinljs  should  he  pulled  down.  As  an 
expiation  of  what  had  been  done,  he  sacrificed  a  child 
to  Saturn  or  Moloch,  and  threw  a  number  of  animals 
into  the  sea  as  an  offering  to  Neptune.  Meantime  he 
pressed  on  the  siege,  damming  up  one  of  the  rivers 
by  which  three  sides  of  the  town  were  surrounded. 
While  he  was  thus  engaged  the  relieving  force  arrived  ; 
it  comprised  auxiliaries  from  Magna  Gnecia^  and  from 
most  of  the  Greek  cities  in  the  island.  The  general's 
name  was  I)a[)hn.eus,  and  he  had  with  him  thirty 
thousand  infantry  and  five  thousand  cavalry.  A 
squadron  of  thirty  ships  of  war  sailed  along  the  coast, 
keeping  pace  with  the  army.  Himilco  sent  against 
the^  his%anish  and  ItaliL  troops.     A  battfe  was 


*  The  name  commonly  given  to  the  collection  of  Greek  colonies  in 
Southern  Italy.     See  '*  The  Story  of  Rome,"  page  39. 


EXECUTION  OF   THE   GENERALS. 


39 


fought  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Himera,  and  was 
obstinately  contested.  In  the  end  the  Greeks  were 
victorious,  routing  the  enemy  with  the  loss  of  six 
thousand  men.  The  whole  force  indeed  might,  it  was 
thought,  have  been  destroyed  but  for  the  caution  of 
Daphna,'us.  Remembering  how  the  men  of  Himera 
had  been  attacked  and  slaughtered  in  just  such  a 
moment  of  victory,  he  held  back  his  men  from  pursuit 
The  same  fear  that  Himilco,  who  of  course  had  vast 
forces  in  reserve,  might  take  them  at  a  disadvantage, 
kept  the  Agrigentine  generals  from  sallying  forth 
upon  the  fugitives  as  they  hurried  past  the  walls. 
W^hen  the  relieving  force  had  entered  the  city,  there 
was  naturally  much  talk  among  the  soldiers  about 
the  events  of  the  day.  Some  loudly  accused  the 
generals  of  cowardice  ;  others  even  declared  that 
they  had  been  bribed.  The  populace  rushed  to 
the  market-place  and  held  a  public  assembly,  be- 
fore which  the  Agrigentine  generals  were  put  upon 
their  trial.  Menes  of  Camarina,  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  relieving  force,  was  the  chief  accuser.  The 
furious  people  would  not  listen  to  any  defence  from 
the  accused.  Four  out  of  the  five  were  seized  and 
stoned  to  death  ;  the  fifth  was  pardoned  on  account 
of  his  youth. 

At  first  Daphnaeus  thought  of  attacking  the  Car- 
thaginian camp ;  but  the  place  was  too  strongly 
fortified,  and  he  contented  himself  with  scouring  the 
roads  with  his  cavalry  and  cutting  off  the  supplies. 
The  distress  soon  became  very  great ;  many  died  of 
starvation,  and  the  mercenaries  crowded  round 
Himilco's  tent,  clamouring  for  their  rations,  and  de- 


F 

it 


THE    STORY   OF   CARTHAGE. 


clarinj^  that   unices    tin;)-   wen;    saii^ticd    they  would 
takt  •  wiili   I  lie  riu'iin*.     'ITk-  ral   had  just 


heard  that  the 


,11-.  \\cr( :  takiii^  a  convoy  of 


CA  U  I  1 1  At ;  I  N  1  AN    li  A  I  IK  K  -SILVER. 


provisions  l)>-  -  -  A-rij^entum.      His  ( )nl}-  hope      ^ 

relief  was  in  i^cttiii"-  lioM  <.r  tlii^.  He  cnlivati-d  the 
mutineers  to  wait  tut  .t  Uw  il.i\  -, -ivin;-"tlu'ni  meanwhile 
as  pledges  the  costl\-  drinkin-j-cups  and  plate  of  the 


AGRIGENTUM  EVACUATED, 


41 


Carthac^inian  officers.     The  Syracusan  fleet  had  no 
expectation  of  being  attacked,  as  Ilimilco  had  never 
attempted  to  claim  command  of  the  sea.     They  were 
taken  by  surjirise  and  completely  defeated.     Eight  of 
the  ships  of  w  ar  were  sunk,  the  others  chased  to  the 
shore,  and  the  whole  of  the  convoy  captured.     This 
event  changed  the  whole  aspect  of  affairs.     It  was 
Agrigcntum  that  was  now  in  distress.     Before  long 
the  Italian  mercenaries  in  the  city  departed.     They 
alleged  that  their  time  of  service  had   expired  ;  but 
It  was  Slid  that  Dexippus,  their  commander,  had  been 
bribed  b\-  the  besiegers  to  tell  them  that  there  was 
no  food  in  the  city,  and  that  they  would  find  more 
profitable   service    elsewhere.      That    there   was    no 
tood    was   too   true;    for   when    the    generals   came 
to  examine   the  stores,  they   found    that   there  was 
nothing  to   be   done   but   at   once   to  abandon   the 
citv. 

That  very  night  the  plan  was  carried  out.  Guarded 
by  the  troops  from  the  pursuit  of  the  Carthaginians,  the 
whole  population  of  Agrigentum,  with  the  exception 
of  some  who  could  not  and  others  who  would  not 
leave  their  homes,  crowded  the  road  that  led  eastward 
to  Gela.  At  dawn  Himilco  entered  the  city.  It  was 
one  of  the  richest  cities  in  Greece,  and  from  its  foun- 
dation three  hundred  years  before  it  had  never  had 
an  enemy  within  its  walls.  The  houses  were  full  of 
pictures  and  statues,  of  rich  furniture,  of  gold  and 
silver  plate.  The  treasuries  of  the  temple  were  rich 
with  the  offerings  of  many  generations  of  worshippers. 
Himilco  spared  nothing.  Everything  that  was  valu- 
able, sacred  property  as  well  as  profane,  was  carried 


fi 


42 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


off.«  The  richest  citizen  of  A^^rigentum,  unwilling  to 
leave  his  native  country,  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
shrine  of  Athene.  When  he  found  that  its  sacredness 
would  not  protect  him,  he  set  it  on  fire  and  perished 
in  the  ruins.  Himilco,  who  took  the  city  just  about 
mid-winter  (i.e.,  eight  months  after  his  first  landing  in 
the  island,,  occupied  it  till  the  si)ring  of  the  following 
year.  When  he  was  ready  to  take  tlie  field  again,  he 
levelled  the  houses  to  the  ground  and  defaced  the 
temples.  This  done  he  marched  again-t  ( Ida,  ravaged 
the  country,  wiiich  indeed  there  was  no  attempt  to 
defend,  and  then  assailed  the  city.  Gcla  was  for  the 
time  left  to  its  own  resources  ;  it  was  neither  so  well 
placed  nor  so  stn )ngly  fortified  a->  Agrigcntum.  Still 
it  held  out  bravely,  the  women,  who  had  refused  to 
be  sent  away  to  a  place  of  safety,  being  conspicuous 

by  their  courage. 

Meanwhile  Dionysius,  the  Syracusan  commander,^ 
had  collected   a  relieving  force  numbering,  to  take 


•  The  most  precious  p.  "m-  indeed,  the  on U' one  mentioned  by 
nail  in.  t..  havr  been  u.c  famous  "  Bull"  of  the  tyrant  Thalaris, 
which  dated  l)ack  to  about  a  century  and  a  half  V)efore.  riu-  liull  had 
Ijeen  nia<le  by  I'erilUis.  a  native  worker  in  brass,  as  an  instrument  of 
torture  (victims  were  enclosetl  in  it  and  roasted  aliveb  The  artist 
IS  said  to  have  been  the  tir>t  who  sutTered  in  it.  Thi.  may  be  a  table  ; 
and,  indeed,  the  story  is  told  of  more  than  .-ne  inventor  of  instru- 
ments of    cruehv,  as,    for   instance )f    Dr.     Guillotine,    c*»ntriver   ot 

ihe  machine  which  bears  his  name.  But  the  existence  of  Phalaris 
and  his  crueltv,  and  his  um-  ..f  this  particular  engine  of  torture, 
seem  to   be    hi  (or    they    are    alludc<l  to    by    Tindar, 

who  was  not  much  later  in  point  of  time.     We  shall  hear  of  the  Bull 

again. 

=>  This  was  the  famous  tyrant,  the  first  of  the  name.  He  had  taken 
advantage  of  the  discredit  brought  on  his  rivals  by  the  Carthaginian 
victories  to  establish  himself  in  supreme  jwwer  at  Syracuse. 


I 


GEL  A   ABANDONED. 


43 


the  lowest  estimate,  thirty  thousand  infantry  and  a 
thousand  cavalry,  and  accompanied   by  fifty  decked 
vessels.     With  this  he  marched  to  the  help  of  Gela, 
and  pitching  his  camp  between  the  Carthaginians  and 
the  sea,  endeavoured  to  cut  cfif  their  supplies.     After 
twenty  days'  skirmishing,  in   which   little  good   was 
effected,   he  determined   to    make  an   attempt  upon 
the  camp.     The  assault   was  to  be  delivered  simul- 
taneously from  three  places^from  the  sea,  from  the 
western  side  of  the  city,  and   from  that  part  of  the 
wall  which   was  especially  threatened  by  the   siege 
engines.    The  sea-front  of  the  camp  was  the  weakest : 
and    here  the  attack,  which  was   not  expected,  was 
successful  for  a  time,  and,  but  for  the  failure  of  the 
other  movements,  would  probably  have  decided  the 
day.     The  division  that  was  to  operate  on  the  west 
was   too    late,  for   by   the    time  it  came  into  action 
the  fight   at   the   sea-front   was  over.      That   which 
was    told    ofif   to    attack    the    siege-works,    and    was 
commanded  by  Dionysius  himself,  never  came  into 
action  at  all. 

Nothing  now  remained  but  to  leave  Gela  to  the 
same  fate  which  had  overtaken  Agrigentum  and 
Himera~to  abandon  it  to  the  fury  of  the  enemy. 
This  was  done  the  same  night,  Himilco  having  been 
put  off  his  guard  by  a  request  from  Dionysius  that 
he  would  grant  a  truce  the  following  day  for  the 
burial  of  the  dead.  All  that  had  strength  for  the 
journey  left  the  city.  Camarina  was  evacuated  in 
the  same  way.  Both  cities  were  plundered  and 
destroyed. 

It  now  seemed  as  if  the  whole  of  Sicily  were  within 


I 


nImmL-. 


44 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


the  ^rasp  of  CarthajL^e.  The  only  firsf-rate  town  that 
remained  to  be  conciuercd  was  S\'racuse.  We  are 
inclined  to  ask, '*  Why  did  not  Ilimilco  march  upon 
Syracuse  after  the  fall  of  Gel  a  and  Cam  ar  ina  ?"  just 
as  we  sliall  be  inclined  to  ask  hereafter,  "  U'hy  did 
not  I lannibal  m.-irrh  upon  Rome  after  CaniKe  ? " 
Doubtless  lie  reinuinucrctl  that,  a  few  }'cars  before, 
the  mo>t  |)()\\crful  expedition  ever  sent  forth  by  a 
Greek  state  had  been  dt ^tn'\ed  bef()re  the  walls  of 
this  same  city.  It  must  h.iv'e  been  difficult,  too,  to 
feed  and  pny  so  vast  an  armv.  Hut  probably  his 
stron<^t "st  reason  was  tlic  second  breakin;^  out  of 
the  plat^ue.  It  had  raj^ed  iit  -liis  camp  throuj^di  the 
summer  of  the  year  bef( >re ;  and  now  that  the 
liot  weather  liad  returned  it  probably  ^  broke  out 
again.  An\iiow  v\e  know  that  when  he  returned  to 
Cartliai^u:'  he  hatl  lost  lialf  his  army  b\'  sickness. 
W'liatever  the  cause,  he  sent  una<l'^d  to  S>'racuse 
ein()\-s  to  treiit  for  peace.  Dion\>ius  was  onlv 
too  glad  to  listen,  and  a  treaty  was  concluded  on 
these  terms  :  — 

1.  Carthage  was  to  keep  her  old  settlements,  and 
those  of  the  Sicanian  tribes. 

2.  Selinus,  Agrigentum,  I limera,  Gel  a,  and  Cam- 
arina,  might  be  reoccujjied  by  such  of  their  old  in- 
habitants as  survived.  I^ut  tlie\'  were  to  be  un walled, 
and  were  to  |)a\'  tribute  to  Cartilage. 

3.  Leontini,  Messana,  and  the  Sikel  tribes,  were  to 
be  inde|)endent. 

4.  Syracuse  was  to  be  under  the  rule  of  Dionysius. 

*  I  say  "  prol>ably  "  because  the  fact  is  not  expressly  stated  by  the 
historian  (Diodorus  Siculus),  though  it  is  strongly  implied. 


THE   PLAGUE   AT   CARTHAGE.  45 

5.  Prisoners  and  ships  taken  b)-  either  party  M^ere 

to  ':c  restored. 

Succe.vsful  as  the  campaign  had  been  it  ended  in 
^I'saster  to  Carthage.  The  army  carried  back  the 
pl.-igue  with  It.  Carthage  and  the  neighbouring  dis- 
tricts caught  the  infection,  and  multitudes  perished. 


IF 


'III 


SIEGE  OF  MOTYA. 


47 


1 1 


III. 


CARTHAGK    AND    DIONVSH  S    (397). 

'\\V.  h;uc  seen  that  tlic  rule  of  Dion>'sius  in  S>Tacu^v; 
was  one  of  the  articles  of  tlic  treaty  of  405.  Such 
forei.i^n  suiiport,  of  course,  did  not  tend  to  make  him 
IK.pular,  and  a.  .-K>n  as  he  felt  liirn^rlf  stroni(  enoui^h, 
he  threw  it  off  In  39;  he  called  an  ci>^cinbly  of  tlie 
S)racusans,  whom  he  was  then  doin;^^  his  best  to 
conciliate,  and  i)roi)osed  war  against  Carthage. 
**Just  now,"  he  said,  "  Carthage  is  weakened  by  the 
l)lague  ;  but  :he  has  designs  against  us  u  hich  she  will 
carry  out  on  ..le  tirst  opi)ortunity.  W'c  had  better 
deal  with  her  before  she  has  recovered  her  strength." 
The  peo|)le  greatly  a|>[)roved  the  pro[)v>sal  :  all  the 
more  because  Dionysius  allowed  them  t-  plunder  the 
propert\(>f  Carthaginian  citi/ens  who  where  residing  in 
Svracusc,  and  the  ships  of  Carthaginian  merchants  that 
iiappened  to  be  in  harbour.  News  of  what  had  been 
done  spread  over  the  island,  and  produced  something 
like  a  massacre.  Carthage  had  used  her  victory 
cruelly,  and  her  misdeeds  were  now  remembered 
against  her.  Cartha-iiuan  rule  was  oppressive,  espe- 
ciallv  in  the  amount  of  tribute  which  was  exacted  ;  and 
Carthaginian  habits  and  u  :i\  s  ot  life  seem  to  have  been 
particularly  offensive  to  the  tasic  of  the  Greeks.     Tb« 


result  was  a  rising  in  the  Greek  cities  which  had  been 
made  tributary  by  the  last  treaty.  Most  of  the  Car- 
thaginian residents  perished.  The  example  of  the 
Greeks  was  soon  followed  by  the  native  Sicilians,  and 
in  a  very  few  days  the  dominions  of  Carthage  in  the 
island  were  reduced  to  her  strongholds  on  the  western 
coast. 

All  this  happened  before  w^ar  had  been  formally 
declared.  This  declaration  Dionysius  did  not  omit 
to  make.  I  le  sent  envoys  to  Carthage  with  a  message  : 
if  she  would  restore  freedom  to  the  Greek  cities  of 
Sicily  she  might  have  peace  ;  otherwise  she  must  pre- 
pare for  war.  For  war  Carthage  was  but  ill  prepared. 
The  losses  of  the  last  campaign,  and  of  the  pestilence 
which  had  brought  it  to  an  end,  had  been  terrible. 
Still  it  was  impossible  to  accept  the  condition 
which  had  been  offered,  and  the  government  prepared 
to  resist.  Of  money,  at  least,  they  had  an  unfailing 
supply,  and  with  money  they  could  always  purchase 
men.  Some  members  of  the  council  were  at  once 
sent  off  with  large  sums  to  hire  mercenaries  in 
Europe. 

Dionysius,  probably  w^ithout  waiting  for  the  return 
of  his  envoys,  marched  to  the  west  of  the  island. 
His  object  of  attack  was  Motya,  the  chief  harbour  and 
arsenal  of  Carthage  in  Sicily.  He  was  joined  on  his 
way  by  the  whole  force  of  all  the  Greek  cities,  and  his 
army  numbered  eighty  thousand  infantry  and  upwards 
of  three  thousand  cavalry,  while  he  had  a  fleet  of  two 
hundred  ships  co-operating  with  him.  Motya  was 
strongly  situated  on  an  island  divided  from  the  main- 
land by  a  channel  six  furlongs  broad.     This  channel 


I 


I 


1^' 


4o 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


WRH  ordinarily  (  rosscd  bv  a  mole.  But  the  mole 
could  be  remov..!  ,n  time  ;.f  necessity,  and  this  was  at 
once  done.  lJion>'sius.  iiftcr  rcconnoitrini,^  the  place  in 
com|)anv'  witli  liis  cn-ineers.  set  about  a  sie^^e.  The 
harbour  and  all  the  sliore  were  blockaded,  and  the 
channel,  or  at  'oi^t  i)art  of  the  channel,  was  filled  up, 
'■''  that  the  en-mcs  niii^ht  be  hrouj^^ht  up  to  the  walls 
ui  the  city.  On  the  other  hand,  lliniilcu,  who  had 
been  i)ut  in  command  of  tlie  Lartliaginian  force,  was 


THE  WAI,.L  OF'  \fOTYA. 

"o^  '^^^^'  f  Jc  sent  ten  shii)s  from  Carthajrc  to  Syra- 
cuse itself,  and  destroyed  mucli  of  the  shipr^fn-r  i„  ^be 
harbour.  He  then  made  a  more  formidable  .lUack  on 
the  besic-ingr  force  at  AIot>'a.  Takin-  command  in 
person  of  a  squadron  of  a  hundred  ships  he  crossed  by 
night  from  Carthage  t.  linus,  and  sailin-  thence 
along  tlie  coast  appeared  at  daybreak  off  Motya,  sank 
or  burnt  the  blockadin-  squadron,  and  made  his  way 
into  the  harbour.     The  Greek  ships  were  drawn  upon 


MOTYA   ASSAULTED. 


49 


land,  and  Dionysius  did  not  venture  to  launch  them. 
The  harbour  was  too  narrow  for  him  to  use  his  numbers 
with  advantage.  But  he  constructed  a  road  of  planks 
across  a  neck  of  land  which  divided  the  harbour  from 
the  sea,  and  made  his  men  drag  his  ships  along  this. 
When  Himilco  endeavoured  to  interrupt  the  work  he 
was  driven  off  with  showers  of  missiles  from  the  Syra- 
cusan  force  on  land,  and  by  the  arrows  discharged 
by  the  catapults.  Catapults  were  a  new  invention  at 
the  time,  and  probably  caused  something  of  the  con- 
sternation which  is  felt  by  savages  at  the  first  sight 
of  firearms.  Himilco,  whose  fleet  was  only  half  as 
strong  as  that  opposed  to  him,  did  not  venture  to 
give  battle,  but  returned  to  Carthage. 

The  attempt  at  relief  having  thus  failed,  Dionysius 
pushed  the  siege  vigorously.  The  walls  were  battered 
with  the  rams,  while  the  catapults,  with  a  constant 
discharge  of  arrows,  drove  the  garrison  from  the  walls. 
Towers  were  wheel:  '  it)  c,-.iinst  the  fortifications. 
They  had  six  stories,  c: ch  o'  them  filled  with  men, 
and  were  as  high  as  the  houses  of  the  (own.  The 
people  of  Motya,  on  the  other  hand,  defended  them- 
selves vigorously.  They  raised  great  masts  with  yard- 
arms,  from  which  men,  protected  from  the  missiles  of 
the  besiegers  by  breastworks,  threw  ignited  torches 
and  bundles  of  flax  steeped  in  pitch  on  the  engines 
that  were  being  used  against  the  walls.  Some  of  these 
were  set  on  fire,  and  the  assailants  had  to  turn  their 
attention  to  extinguishing  the  flames.  Still  the  attack 
went  on,  and  before  long  the  rams  made  a  breach  in  the 
wall.  A  fierce  battle  followed.  The  Greeks  burned 
to  avenge  the  cruelties  that  had  been  done  to  their 


50 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


countrymen  :  the   I'lKi-nicians,  who  could  hope  for  no 

incrc)',  and  uho  liad  n< )  wa)-  of  i'S(:a|)c  o[)en  to  them 
cither  by  sea  or  land,  resisted  with  the  courage  of 
desj).iir.  When  they  liad  to  j^m'vc  up  the  walls,  they 
made  barriers  acio^^  the  streets,  and  defended  every 
house  as  if  it  liad  Ixen  a  fort.  I  lie  (irceks  brou^i^ht 
their  -'  *  IS  into  the  streets,  and  from  them 
made  tlien-  u  ,iy  into  thr  upper  stories  of  the  houses. 
Still  the  p( "ople  of  Motya  did  not  lose  courage,  but 
f<tu<4lit  witli  a  resolution  whicli  reminds  us  of  the  Jews 
when  they  defended  Jerusalem  against  the  Romans 
under  Titus.  The  (ireik^  suffered  heavily  in  this 
street  fighting.  Their oi>p(»nents  were  utterly  reckless 
of  their  live^,  and  tliey  knew  tiie  place  where  they 
were  fighting.  At  last  a  stratagem  succeedetl  where 
force  had  failed.  For  several  da\s  the  Greeks  had 
retired  from  the  conflict  as  evening  approached,  the 
signal  for  retreat  being  gi\en  by  a  trumpet,  and  the 
people  of  the  tov\  n  came  to  regard  tliis  as  the  regular 
course  of  tilings.  lUit  one  niglit  iJionysius  sent  a 
picked  force  to  renew  the  attack  after  dark.  This 
detachment  established  themselves  in  some  of  the 
houses  befe»re  tlie  besieged  w  ere  aware  of  what  had 
happened;  th<  t  of  the  army  poured  «icross  the 
channel  now  filled  uj),  iind  Mot)'a  was  taken.  One 
of  the  horrible  massacres  which  make  these  wars  so 
terrible  followed.  Dionysius  tried  in  vain  to  stoi)  it, 
not  so  much  from  any  feeling  of  mercy,  as  because 
prisoners  might  be  sold  for  slaves,  and  would  bring  in 
considerable  sums  of  money.  The  soldiers  paying  no 
heetl  to  his  orders,  he  mide  proclamation  that  such  of 
the  inhabitants  as  still  survived  should  take  shelter  in 


HIMILCO'S  ADVANCE. 


51 


the  temples.  This  was  effectual.  The  soldiers  then 
began  to  plunder.  This  Dionysius  did  not  attempt 
to  hinder.  Wishing  to  encourage  his  men  for  the 
campaign  which  lay  before  them,  he  gave  up  to  them 
all  the  booty  in  the  town.  To  the  leader  of  the  party 
which  had  surprised  the  town  he  made  a  present  of 
about  3^400,  and  was  liberal  in  his  gifts  to  all  who  had 
distinguished  themselve;?. 

Carthage  meanwhile  had  been  preparing  a  formid- 
able force  with  which  to  re-establish  her  dominion  in 
Sicily.  It  amounted  to  one  hundred  thousand  men, 
taking  again,  as  being  the  most  probable,  the  smallest 
estimate.  Thirty  thousand  more  joined  it  after  it  had 
landed  in  Sicily.  Himilco  was  appointed  to  the 
command.  Aware  that  Dionysius  had  his  spies  in 
Carthage,  he  gave  to  the  captain  of  each  transport 
sealed  orders  directing  them  to  sail  to  Panormus. 
They  were  attacked  on  their  way  by  a  Syracusan 
squadron,  which  sank  fifty  of  their  number,  and  with 
them  five  thousand  men  and  two  hundred  chariots. 
I limilco  then  came  out  with  his  war-ships,  and  the 
Syracusans  retired.  The  Carthaginian  general  marched 
along  the  coast  to  Motya,  and  recovered  it  without 
any  difficulty.  Dionysius  did  not  venture  to  attack 
him,  but  retired  to  Syracuse. 

Himilco  now  conceived  a  very  bold  scheme, 
nothing  less  than  to  make  his  way  to  Messana,  in 
the  extreme  north-east  of  the  island.  It  had  an 
admirable  harbour,  capable  of  holding  all  his  ships, 
which  numbered  more  than  six  hundred.  It  was  near 
the  mainland  of  Italy,  from  which  he  hoped  to  draw 
fresh  forces,  and  it  commanded  the  approach  from 


I 


52 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


Greece.     He  marched  alon*^^  the  noith  coast,  his  fleet 
accompanying  him,  and  pitched  his  camp  at  Pelorum, 
the  extreme  north-eastern  point  of  Sicily,  which  was 
about  twelve  miles  from  the  city.     The  Messaiiians 
were  struck  with   terror.       Their   walls    were   out  of 
repair  ;  they  had  no  alhes  at  hand,  and  part  of  their 
own    military   force  Uci:>   absent   at    Syracuse.      The 
first  thing  was  to  send  away  tlic  women  and  children 
and  the  most  precious  of  their  possessions.    Then  they 
prepared    for   defence.      Some  were   encouraged    by 
remembering  an  old  oracle,  "  The  sons  of  Carthage 
shall  bear  water  in  the  streets  of  M(  ssaiia, "  which  they 
took  to  mean  that  there  should  be  Carthaginian  slaves 
in  their  city.     Thrv  ^cnt  a  militarv  force  to  the  spot 
where  Himilco    u.in    encamped,  with  instructions  to 
resist  any  attempt  to  occupv  tlie  country.     Himilco 
at  once  sent    a    squadron   of  two  hundred   ships  to 
attack  the  town,  which  ^vould  now,  he  reckoned,  be 
almost   stripped  u(  tlefeiiders.      An  opportune  north 
wind  carried  the  sliips  rapidlv  to  their  destination — 
more  rapidly  than  the  .Mess.inian  soldiers  could  follow 
them.       Himilco's   hon-s    \\cre    fulfilled.      His   shies 
landed  the  troops   wiucii  thev  carried.      These  made 
their  way  into  the  citv'   thrruigh  the  spaces    in   the 
walls,  and  the  place  was  cai)tured  almost  without  a 
struggle.      Some  of  the    Mcssanians    fell    in    a   vain 
attempt  at  resistance ;  many  took  refuge  in  the  neigh- 
bouring forts;  two  hundred  and  more  had  recourse  to 
the  desperate  expedient  of  swimming  the  strait  be- 
tween their  city  and   Italy.     Fifty  succeeded  in  the 
attempt.     Himilco,  after  trying  in  vain  to  capture  the 
forts,  marched  on  Syracuse, 


BATTLE  OF  CATANA. 


53 


|i 


His  first  object  was  the  city  of  Catana,  which 
lay  on  the  southern  slopes  of  Mount  ^tna.  His 
original  plan  was  to  march  his  army  along  the  coast, 
with  the  fleet  keeping  pace  with  it.  But  this  plan 
could  not  be  carried  out.  A  severe  eruption  of  .^tna 
took  place  at  the  very  time  of  his  march,  and  the 
stream  of  lava  which  poured  down  the  eastern  or  sea- 
ward slopes  of  the  mountain  made  it  necessary  for 
him  to  make  a  circuitous  march  round  the  western 
side. 

Dionysius  at  once  took  advantage  of  this  division 
of  the  Carthaginian  forces,  resolving  to  attack  the 
fleet  while  it  was  unsupported  by  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  army.  He  marched  with  his  own  army  along 
the  sea-coast  nearly  as  far  as  Catana,  while  Leptines, 
the  Syracusan  admiral,  sailed  alongside  with  the  fleet. 
Mago,  who  was  in  command  of  the  Carthaginian 
ships,  felt  at  first  no  little  dismay  at  the  sight  of  the 
combined  force  which  was  coming  to  meet  him.  He 
had,  however,  no  alternative  but  to  fight ;  and  indeed 
his  fleet  was  a  very  powerful  one,  numbering,  along 
with  the  transport  ships,  which  were  furnished  with 
brazen  beaks  for  purposes  of  attack,  as  many  as  five 
hundred  ships.  The  Syracusan  admiral,  who  probably 
bore  the  character  of  being  too  adventurous,  had  been 
strictly  ordered  by  Dionysius  to  keep  his  fleet  in  close 
order,  and  on  no  account  to  break  the  line.  It  was 
only  thus  that  he  could  hope  to  hold  his  own  against 
the  superior  numbers  of  the  enemy.  These  orders 
he  disregarded.  Picking  out  thirty  of  his  fastest 
sailers,  he  advanced  far  ahead  of  the  rest  of  the  fleet, 
and  boldly  attacked  the  Carthaginians.     At  first  he 


' 


I 


I 


1 


54 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


SIEGE   OF  SYRACUSE, 


55 


was  successful,  sinking  many  of  his  antagonists. 
But  the  numbers  which  were  brought  up  against 
him    were    overwhelming.      It    became     more    and 

more  difficult  to  mancL-uvre  ;  at  close  quarters,  when 
it  was  possible  for  the  enemy  to  board,  one  ship, 
however  skilfully  commanded,  was  not  much  better 
than  another.  Before  long  Leptincs  was  glad  to 
escape  to  the  open  sea  with  such  of  the  ships  as 
were  left  to  him.  The  rest  of  his  fleet,  who  had 
thus  lost  the  Icadcrsliii)  of  their  admiral,  and  who 
came  on  in  disorder,  made  but  little  resistance  to  the 
enemy.  More  th;in  a  hundred  ships  were  taken  or 
destroyed.  Nor  \\;is  the  near  neighbourhood  of  the 
army  on  shore  of  much  service  to  those  who  tried  to 
escape  from  the  wrecks.  The  Carthaginians  had 
manned  a  number  of  boats  which  intercepted  the 
fu2"itives,  and  slaujjhtcred  them  in  the  water  before 
the  eyes  and  within  the  hearing  of  their  countrymen. 
More  than  twenty  thousand  men  are  said  to  have  been 
lost  by  the  Greeks  in  this  battle. 

Dionysius  was  stroiv^ly  urged  to  meet  Mimilco  at 
once  before  the  news  of  the  disaster  to  the  fleet  had 
become  known  throui/h  Sicilv.  At  first  he  was  in- 
clined  to  follow  the  advice.  But  more  cautious 
counsels  prevailed,  and  he  retreated  on  Syracuse. 
This  was  probablv  a  mistake.  Not  only  did  he 
disgust  man\'  « )f  his  allies,  but  he  lost  an  opportunity 
of  inflicting  a  great  blow  on  the  enemy.  Immediately 
after  the  battle  bad  weather  came  on,  and  the  Cartha- 
ginian fleet  could  not  keep  the  sea.  Had  the  Greek 
arm}'  still  occupied  their  position  on  the  shore  they 
miirht    have    inflicted    immense    damag-e     on    their 


opponents.  As  it  was,  Himilco  came  up  with  his 
army  in  time  to  assist  his  fleet.  His  own  ships,  and 
those  which  had  been  captured  from  the  Greeks,  were 
drawn  up  on  the  shore  and  repaired.  The  men  had 
some  days  given  them  for  rest  and  refreshment  ;  and 
he  then  marched  on  to  Syracuse.  Before  starting  for 
this  last  stage  he  sent  envoys  to  the  little  town  of 
/Etna,  where  the  Italian  mercenaries  of  Dionysius 
were  strongl)'  posted,  inviting  these  troops  to  change 
side  and  take  service  with  himself  They  were 
strongly  inclined  to  do  so,  but  could  not.  They  had 
given  hostages  to  their  master,  and  their  best  troops 
were  actually  serving  in  his  army.  They  were  thus 
compelled  to  refuse  the  offer,  and  Himilco  was 
obliged  to  leave  them  in  his  rear. 

On  arriving  at  Syracuse  his  first  step  was  to  make 
a  great  demonstration  of  force.  He  sailed  into  the 
Great  Harbour  with  all  his  fleet.  There  were  more 
than  two  hundred  ships  of  war,  which  he  had  adorned 
with  the  spoils  of  those  captured  off  Catana,  and 
nearly  two  thousand  others  of  all  kinds  and  sizes. 
The  harbour,  though  measuring  more  than  a  mile 
and  a  half  one  way  and  two  miles  and  a  half  the 
other,  was  absolutely  crowded  with  them.  The  army 
is  said  to  have  numbered  three  hundred  thousand; 
but  this  is  doubtless  an  exaggeration.  Altogether  the 
display  of  force  was  overwhelming,  and  the  Syracusans 
did  not  venture  to  show  themselves  outside  either 
their  harbour  or  their  walls. 

The  Carthaginian  general  prepared  to  blockade  the 
city,  building  three  forts,  which  he  stored  with  w^inc 
and  other  provisions.      His  merchants  were  sent  at 


I' 


5^ 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


the  same  time  to  Sardinia  and  Africa  to  fetch  new 
supplies.  Dionysius,  on  the  other  hand,  sent  to  Greece 
and  Southern  Italy  in  the  hope  of  collecting  a  force  of 
volunteers  and  mercenaries. 

The  tide  of  micccss  now  began  to  turn  against 
Carthage.  One  of  Mimilco's  corn-ships  was  approach- 
ing his  camp  when  five  of  the  Syracusan  ships  sallied 
forth  from  the  Inner  Harbour  and  captured  it.  The 
Carthaginians  sent  out  a  stjuatlron  of  forty  ships  to 
drive  off  the  assailants.  On  this  the  Syracusans  manned 
their  whole  fleet,  attacked  the  hostile  squadron,  sink- 
ing twenty-four  out  of  the  forty,  and  capturini^  the 
admiral's  ship.  They  then  paraded  their  force  in 
front  of  the  Cartha^^^inian  position,  and  challenged  the 
invaders  to  a  general  engagement.  The  challenge 
was  not  accepted. 

And  now,  for  the  third  time,  pestilence,  the  old  ally 
of  the  Greeks,  appeared  to  help  them.  I limilco  had 
shown  himself  as  careless  of  the  religious  feelings,  not 
only  of  his  foes,  but  also  of  his  friends,  as  his  prede- 
cessors had  done.  I le  had  broken  down  the  tombs 
outside  the  city  to  get  materials  for  his  forts,  and  he 
had  robbed  such  temples  as,  being  without  the  line  of 
fortifications,  had  fallen  into  his  hands.  One  specially 
rich  and  famous  shrine  had  been  thus  treated,  that  of 
Demeter  and  Persephone.*  It  was  to  this  impiety 
that  the  disasters  were  generally  attributed ;  but  the 
natural  causes  at  work  were  sufficient  to  account  for 
them.  An  enormous  force  was  crowded  together. 
It  was  the  most  unhealthy  season  of  the  year  ;  and 
the  heat  of  the  summer,  that  was  now  coming  to  an 

■  Ceres  and  Proserpine. 


PLAGUE  IN  HIMILCO'S  CAMP, 


57 


end,  had  been  unusually  great.  The  plague  that  now 
broke  out  in  the  army  seems,  from  the  description 
that  the  historian  gives  of  it,  to  have  been  much  of 
the  same  type  as  the  disease  now  known  by  that 
name.  It  began  with  swellings,  and  ended,  after  a 
most  painful  illness  of  five  or  six  days,  almost  inva- 
riably in  death.  The  danger  or  the  fear  of  infection 
prevented  due  attention  to  the  sick,  or  even  the  burial 
of  the  dead.  We  are  told  that  as  many  as  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  corpses  at  one  time  lay 
rotting  on  the  ground.  The  marvel  is,  if  this  or  any- 
thing like  this  be  true,  not  that  so  many  died,  but 
that  so  many  survived. 

The  Syracusans  did  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of 
the  distress  of  the  invaders.  Dionysius  planned  a 
simultaneous  attack  by  sea  and  land.  Leptines,  with 
a  Spartan  ofificer,  was  put  in  command  of  a  squadron 
of  eighty  ships,  and  Dionysius  himself  directed  the 
movements  of  the  troops.  He  marched  out  of  the 
city  at  night,  and  delivered  an  unexpected  attack 
about  daybreak  on  the  landward  side  of  the  Cartha- 
ginian camp.  At  first  he  suffered  a  reverse  ;  but  this 
he  had  fully  planned,  for  it  enabled  him  to  get  rid  of 
a  body  of  disaffected  mercenaries.  Put  in  the  front, 
and  deserted  by  the  troops  which  should  have  sup- 
ported them,  they  were  cut  to  pieces  by  the  Cartha- 
ginians. But  when  Dionysius  advanced  in  force, 
these,  in  their  turn,  were  driven  back,  and  one  of  the 
forts  was  captured.  Meanwhile  the  Syracusan  ships 
attacked  on  the  other  side.  The  Carthaginian  ships 
were  but  ill  manned,  a  great  part  of  their  crews  having 
doubtless  perished  in  the  plague.     Anyhow  they  suf- 


58 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


HIMILCO'S  ESCAPE. 


59 


fered  a  crushing  defeat,  and  the  army,  weak  itself,  and 
distracted  by  the  assailants  on  the  other  side,  could 
give  them  no  very  effectual  help.  Many  of  the  ships 
were  deserted.  To  these  the  Greeks  set  fire.  The 
flames  spread  from  vessel  to  vessel  till  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  fleet,  both  war-ships  and  merchantmen, 
was  in  a  blaze.  They  even  spread  to  the  camp, 
which  itself  was,  at  least  in  part,  consumed.  In  short, 
the  victory  of  the  S>Tacusans  was  complete,  and 
Dionysius  encamped  that  night  near  the  temple  of 
Zeus,  in  which  Himilco  had  lately  had  his  head- 
quarters. 

Reduced  to  these  straits,  the  Carthaginian  general 
resolved  to  open  communications  witli  Dionysius 
personally,  and  without  the  knowledge  of  the  people 
of  Syracuse.  } le  offered  three  hundred  talents  if  he 
would  allow  him  to  remove  to  Africa  what  was  left  of 
his  army.  Dionysius  replied  that  it  would  be  quite 
impossible  to  conduct  so  extensive  an  operation  as 
the  removal  of  the  whole  of  the  army  without  excit- 
ing the  suspicion  of  the  people.  Hut  Himilco  himself 
and  the  Carthaginian  officers  would  be  allowed  to 
escape.  He  was  not  anxious  to  push  the  Cartha- 
ginians to  extremities.  Ihtir  tiiendship  might  be 
useful  to  him  on  some  future  occasion,  for  his  own 
power  was  not  very  firmly  established,  and  he  had 
more  than  one  proof  of  late  that  there  was  a  strong 
party  at  work  in  Syracuse  to  overthrow  it.  Himilco 
accepted  these  terms.  It  was  arranged  that  he  and 
the  other  native  Carthaginians  should  depart  secretly 
on  the  fourth  night  following,  and  Dionysius  led  back 
his  army  to  the  city.     The  money  was  duly  sent,  and 


at  the  time  appointed,  Himilco,  with  his  officers  and 
friends,  and  such  of  his  troops  as  belonged  to  Car- 
thage, embarked.  They  filled,  it  is  said,  forty  ships 
of  w^ar.  Their  escape  did  not  pass  unnoticed.  News 
fif  what  was  going  on  was  taken  to  Dionysius.  As  he 
seemed  to  be  tardy  in  his  movements,  the  Corinthian 
ships  that  were  in  harbour  acted  for  themselves,  pur- 
sued the  fugitives,  and  captured  some  of  the  worst 
sailers  in  the  squadron. 

The  army  that  was  thus  shamefully  abandoned  by 
its  general  fared,  perhaps,  better  than  might  have 
been  expected.  The  native  Sikels  at  once  left  the 
camp,  aiid  thus  anticipating  the  attack  of  the  Syra- 
cusans,  reached  their  homes  for  the  most  part  in 
safety.  The  Spaniards  offered  such  a  bold  front  to 
their  enemies,  that  Dionysius  was  glad  to  take  them 
into  his  own  service.  The  rest  of  the  army  surren- 
dered, and  were  sold  as  slaves. 

Himilco  did  not  long  escape  the  punishment  which 
was  due  to  his  treachery  and  cowardice.  All  Carthage 
was  plunged  into  mourning  by  the  terrible  disaster 
w  hich  had  happened.  Every  house,  every  temple, 
was  closed  ;  all  rites  of  worship  were  stopped,  and 
private  business  was  suspended.  The  city  crowded 
to  meet  the  ships  which  were  bringing  back  Himilco 
and  his  followers,  and  inquired  the  fate  of  friends 
and  relatives.  When  the  whole  truth  was  known,  a 
cry  of  wailing  went  up  from  the  crowd.  The  general 
himself  landed  from  his  ship  clad  in  the  meanest 
garb.  Stretching  his  hands  to  the  sky,  he  bewailed 
aloud  the  disasters  which  had  fallen  on  himself  and  on 
his  country.     The  only  consolation  which  he  could 


6o 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


offer  was  that  he  had  been  conquered  not  by  the 
enemy,  but  by  the  will  of  heaven.  At  the  same  time 
he  publicly  confessed  his  own  im|>iety,  and  took 
the  blame  of  what  had  happened  on  himself.  After 
visiting  every  temple  in  the  city  with  this  confession 
on  his  lips,  he  went  to  his  own  house,  blocked  up  his 
doors,  and,  refusing  admission  even  to  his  own  chil- 
dren, starved  himself  to  death. 

The  misfortunes  of  Carthage  were   not  yet  at  an 
end.     She  had  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  subduing 
all  Sicily,  arul  indeed  only  one  city  remained  to  be 
taken  ;  and  witliin  a  few  months  slic  had  to  fight  for 
her  own  existence.     Her  African  allies  and  subjects, 
with  whom  she  seems  to  have  been  exceedingly  un- 
popular, rose  by  one  consent  against  her.     An  army 
numbering  one  hundred   and   twenty   thousand  was 
soon  raised.     They  made  their  headquarters  at  Tunes, 
and  for  a  while,  so  superior  was  their  strength,  kept 
the  Carthaginians  within  their  walls.     For  a  time  the 
city  was  in  despair.      Besides  the  visible  dangers  that 
threatened,  the  people  dreaded  the  anger  of  heaven. 
Their    general  had   grievously   insulted   the  gods  of 
Greece.  He  had  made  a  dwelling-house  of  one  temple 
at  Syracuse,  and  had  robbed  another.      The  govern- 
ment at  once   set  itself    to   calm    these  fears.     The 
offended  gods,  especially  Demeter  and  Persephone, 
who  had  never  before  been  worshipped  in  Carthage, 
were  propitiated  by  sacrifices  in  Greek  fashion,  which 
the  handsomest  youths  of  Greek  race  that  could  be 
found  were  appointed  to  perform.     This  done,  they 
applied  themselves  to  the  business  of  defending  the 
city.    And  indeed  the  danger  was  soon  over.     The 


wiii»rH 


VOTIVP  I*AS-R£ilEF  TO   PERSEPHONE. 


CARTHAGE    SAVED. 


63 


hosts  that  threatened  them  were  nothing  more  than 
irre^mlar  levies,  who  could  not  agree  among  them- 
seKcs.  and  who  had  no  leaders  worthy  of  the  name. 
Provisions  soon  failed  them,  for  they  had  no  ships, 
whereas  the  Cartha:^^inians  had  command  of  the  sea, 
and  could  import  as  much  food  as  they  wanted  from 
Sardinia.  \or  was  it  only  in  this  way  that  their  vast 
wealth  served  them.  They  used  it  also  to  buy  off 
some  of  their  most  formidable  enemies.  In  the  course 
of  a  few  months  the  great  Libyan  army  broke  up, 
and  Carthage  was  safe. 


A  V  • 


THE   LAST  STRUGGLE  WITH   DIONYSIUS. 

The  power  of  Carthage  was  now  limited  to  a  small 
region  fh  the  western  part  of  the  island.  But  she  was 
not  content  to  remain  within  these  borders  ;  and  she 
seized  the  first  opportunity  of  seeking  to  extend 
them.  Dionvsius  had  set  himself  to  reduce  the  native 
tribes — always  hostile  to  the  Greeks,  and  always 
ready  to  swell  the  forces  of  an  invader.  The  Sikels 
(there  were  two  tribes  of  the  natives,  Sikels  and 
Sikanians  had  cstai>  '  'icd  a  new  settlement  at  Tau- 
romcnium.  Dion\  -  n  '3  1  his  utmost  to  capture  this 
place,  but  was  repu'  i  \\uti  much  loss,  and  was  him- 
self wounded.  Some  of  the  Greek  cities  now  threw 
off  their  allegiance  ;  and  the  Sikels  generally  rose 
against  him.  The  general  in  command  of  the  Car- 
thaginian districts  — M ago  by  name — who  had  been 
doing  his  best  to  make  himself  popular  among  sub- 
jects and  neighbours,  at  once  took  the  field,  and 
ventured  to  march  as  far  eastward  as  Messana. 
Dionysius  encountered  him  on  his  way  back,  and  after 
a  fierce  battle  defeated  him,  Mago  losing  as  many 
as  8ocx)  in  the  struggle.  Carthage,  however,  was  now 
beginning  to  recover  her  strength  ;  and  was  resolved 
to  make  another  effort  to  regain,  at  least,  part  of  the 


MAQO   DEFEATED. 


6S 


island.     She  drew  from  her  usual  recruiting  grounds 
^Africa,  Sardinia,  and  Italy-a  force  of  8o,cxx)  men, 
and  sent  it  into  Sicily,  with  Mago  again  in  command. 
Mago   marched  through   the   country  of  the   native 
tribes,    calling   them     all   to   take   up   arms   against 
Dionvsius,  but  failed  with  one  at  least  of  the  most 
powerful    chiefs.      Receiving   this    check    he   halted. 
Meanwhile,     Dionysius    had     collected    a    force    of 
20,000  ;  with  this  he  marched  against  the  invaders, 
and  making  common  cause  with  the  Sikel  chiefs,  soon 
reduced  them  to  extremities.    The  battle  which  Mago 
wished  to  force  on  him,  and  which  some  of  his  own 
followers    desired,  he    declined.     The   Carthaginians, 
encamped    as  thev  were    in   their  enemies'  country, 
found    their  supplies  fall  short,  and  were  obliged  to 
sue  for  peace.     It  was  granted  ;  but  one  of  the  condi- 
tions was  that  the  Sikels,  valuable  allies  in  past  time 
to  Carthage,  should  now  be  subjects  of  Syracuse.     So 
far  the  war  ended  in  a  distinct  loss  to  the  Phcenician 

power. 

The  next  war  seems  to  have  been  provoked  by 
Dionvsius.  His  position  at  Syracuse  was  now  firmly 
established,  and  his  power  had  steadily  increased. 
He  was  now  desirous  to  consolidate  it  by  finally 
expelling  his  remaining  rivals  from  the  island^  The 
dependencies  of  Carthage  were,  as  usual,  disaffected 
Dionysius  listened  to  their  complaints,  encouraged 
them  to  revolt,  and  received  them  into  alliance  with 
himself.  Carthage  sent  embassies  to  complain  of 
these  proceedings,  and  receiving  no  redress,  resolved 
upon  war.  Foreseeing  that  it  would  be  a  formidable 
undertaking,  they  made  more  than  ordinary  prepara- 


66 


TIL 


.iJRY    OF   CARTHAGE. 


tions.  Besides  hirin/.  is  usual,  a  ]ai;L,^c  force  of  mer- 
cenaries, thcv*  aUt)  i.u-^  *l  a  hodv  of  trotM>^  of  their 
own  citizens,  a  nio>t  uncoininon  ci re u instance,  and 
indicatin*^  their  scii^e  tliat  it  was  a  critical  time  to 
which  tliev*  had  come,  'llie  war  seems  to  have  been 
carried  on  v\  li\  arid  hou  we  d( »  not  \er\-  clearlv  know 
— both  in  Ital}-  <ind  Sicilv.  Of  the  oj)erati(»ns  in  Italy 
\\r  know  little  or  not!n'n«^.  In  Sii  ily  two  «^MX'at  battles 
were    fcniidit.      The    flr-.t    w.i-    ;tt    ("rdjala        In     this 

I )ion\">iu.'>  inthctcd  a  ^uwit-  ucRcU  uii  in.-^  t)p|junent.-., 

killinj^',  it    is   said,   mon •   than    lo,'  and   takin;^   as 

many  as  5,000  prisoin  1  -.  The  survivors  u  i  re  tom- 
pelled  to  take  rcfn'^^c  on  a  hci'dit  where  there  was 
no  sup|)ly  of  uaici.  M  i.;",  ilic  i^uueral,  had  fallen 
in  the  eni^ai^ement.  'ilie  Carthaj^inians  l)e*^an  ne- 
gotiations (ur  {)(  iJionv'sius  ie|)licd  that  he 
would  ^L^rant  it  ordy  on  thcsr  .-onditifm^  that  they 
bhouki  evacu.iU:  all    tlie   tu\\ii>   111   ^:)iLii\'   and  should 

HI*'  ' 

pay  a n  i n d e n m i t \ •  U » r  t h e  e x | ) e n s e s  of  1 1  k ;  \\- a r .  The 
terms  seemed  liarsh  1  :ul  endurance;  but  it  w.is 
necessarv'  to  tefMj)(»ri/e.  The  i^enerals  in  command 
rci)lied  that  the\-  uen •  not  competent  to  make  so 
im[>ortant  a  tre,it\'  on  tlieir  own  auth( )rit\\  es[)ecicdly 
as  the  surrender  of  Cartha/^inian  towns  was  con- 
cerned. Thev  must  refer  tfv^  matter  to  the  autho- 
rities at  honu,  and  the\'  beL;L;i.d  for  a  few  tla\'s'  truce. 
This  l)ion\-sius  readiU-  granted.  Meanwhile  the  Car- 
thaginians prei)<in;tl  for  resistance.  They  ga\e  a 
magnificent  fimeral  to  the  remains  of  Mago,  and 
appointee  1  his  son,  a  mere  youth  in  years  but  singu- 
larly able  and  brave,  to  take  the  command.  Every 
hour  of  the  time  was  spent  in  drilling  the  troops  and 


DEFEAT  OF  DION  Y  SI  US. 


67 


makincT  them  ready  to  renew  the  war.  When  the 
truce  expired,  they  marched  out  of  their  camp  and 
offered  battle  to  Dionysius.  The  engagement  took 
place  at  Cronium,  and  ended  in  disaster  to  the  Greeks. 
Dionvsius  commanded  one  wing,  and  his  brother 
Leptines,  of  whom  we  have  heard  as  admiral  of  the 
Syracu>an  fleet  more  than  once  before,  led  the  other. 
I)ion\sius,  who  had  the  best  troops  of  the  army  under 
him,  was  for  a  time  successful  ;  Leptines  was  de- 
feated and  slain.  When  his  death  became  known 
throutrhout  the  armv  there  was  a  general  panic.  The 
Carthaginians  ga\e  no  quarter,  and  by  the  time  that 
the  darkness  put  an  end  to  the  ])ursuit,  14,000  Greeks, 
it  is  "^aid.  had  perished.  The  Carthaginians,  however, 
did  not  pursue  their  victory,  but  retired  to  Panormus. 
Anxious  to  secure  what  they  could  before  fortune 
turned  against  them,  they  sent  an  embassy  to  Syra- 
cuse ( offering  peace.  Dion\'sius  was  glad  to  accept 
thjir  terms.  These  were,  that  a  thousand  talents 
should  be  i)aid  l)\'  way  of  indemnit\%  and  that  Car- 
thage should  ha\  e,  besides  their  own  towns,  Selinus 
atufits  territory  and  all  that  had  belonged  to  Agri- 
gentum  west  of  the  Halycus. 

This  treat}'  was  kept  for  fifteen  years.  Then  Diony- 
s..,>  >.iw  another  opportunity  of  attacking  his  old 
enemv'.  Carthage  was  again  suffering  from  the  evils 
whicli  seem  to  have  troubled  her  over  and  over  again 
—pestilence,  and  revolt  among  her  African  subjects.^ 

•  i:icvcn  vears  before  we  hear  a  story  of  how  the  Carthaginians  sent 
an  e.xi-e.litK.n  to  Italy  ;  an-i  how.  after  it  had  been  i)r..ui;ht  to  a  success- 
ful end.  a  terrible  yUguc  b;  ul  at  home,  so  terrible  that  Carthage 
was  likely  tn  1  ..sc  her  dominions,  buh  A-'rica  and  Sardinia  revolting 


68 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


On  the  ground  that  the  Carlha;^niiians  had  trespassed 
beyond  their  boundaries,  he  marched  into  their  terri- 
tory   with    an    armv    of    38,000    infantr>-    and    3,000 
horse.       SeHnus,    Ktitelhis,     Jiiul    l^rv'x,    ciihtT    were 
conquered  or  c.ipitulated  :   and  he  then   laid   siei^c  t(. 
Lil>-l)a-um,  a   lloiirishini:   ixal  near  the  promontory  of 
that  name.      At  tlrst  he  pressed  tlie  sie^e  witli  vii^our, 
but  found  thiit  the  i)lace  was  t.M)  .ttciM^dy  <,^arrisoned 
to  be  soon  taken.     Then   came  news  that  the  docks 
at  Carthage  had  been   burnt.     Think iM<i  that  all  the 
enemy's   fleet    nuist  have   {)erished,  he       Mt   man\'  of 
his   own   ships   home,  keepiiii;-  a  s(|iiadron  o(    130  at 
Eryx.      The   Ciu-tlia-iniaiis.   \\ho  <rrm   not  to    have 
suffered  so  rnucli  as  liad   l)ecn   tllou,^llt,  maimed  two 
hundred  shijis  and  sent  them  to  Sicih'.     The  Greek 
admiral  was   taken   b\-   surprise,  and   lost  more  than 
half  his  stiuadron.     As  winter  w<is  now   a|){)roachini,- 
a  truce  was  coneluded.     Before  the  time  fur  another 
campaign  had  come,  Dion\sius  was  dead.^ 


atjainst  her.      " /Vt    this   time,"  >ayN  the    li  fwim   r>i.).l.)rus,   *'thcre 
fell  (.n  the  Carthaginians  many  trv.uM<-  \>\  .;  "'  tlu-  <;.«'i^, 

strange    terrors  and    iincea^ini^    |»nii-    ;i.ii>,    in.ikinL:^    nun    tliink   that 
the  enemy  had  entereil  into  the  i  that  iluy  leai.t  arme.l  out   uf 

their  Ihhim-s,  an.l  fell   uiM>n   one  auothei,   -laying  >ome  and  wounding 

some." 

'   He  died,  it  was  said,  from  thr  «  ttV.  i   iMn-iutt  which  he  had 

given  to  celebrate  the  su  u-  of  ili^  ii  i-edie^  m  a  coniiteiition  at 

Athens.     .Vii   marie  ha*!   told   hnn   iliit  li.;  vlu-ii  is  die 

better  of  thnu   th..a  weri-   1-  tiin    li-.      II     Ind  im.lrr^t.v.d  ihiN  t.i 

mean  the  (."anha«;!nians,  and.  mv>  ihe  In-toii.ui.  ^onicu  hat  ai>surdly, 
had  alwav>   l)een  careful   n  |Hi>h  tn.  far  lii^  viclonf^  over  them. 

But  the  real  meaning  of  thr  ph.;'  Aa>  (luite  difterent.      lie  was  a 

bad  poet,  and  yet,  l-y  the  verdict  i»t  tl.,;hrmg  judges,  wa-  judged  to  be 
better  than  poets  who  were  realiv  hKitei  than  he.  When  his  tragedy 
wa^  successful,  the  oracle  wa>  fullilied,  and  he  UicUi 


THE   EXD   OF   THE    WAR. 


69 


The  war  was  not  finished  b\'  his  death,  but  nothing 
more  of  nuich  consequence  seems  to  have  happened. 
About  a  year  afterwards  peace  was  concluded,  and  for 
the  next  twenty  years  the  "  story  of  Carthage "  is 
almost  a  blank. 


V. 


(  AKTir\(;i     ANU   TIMOr.EON. 


I  SAM)  in  mv  list  chai>t('r  th.it  for  t\v( nty  vrars  and 

more  after  thf  d* '.ilh  <»f  Dioiiv.ni-  tin  ^lory  of  Car- 
tliai;c  i>  "alnio-t  a  1)1, ink."  W'r  know,  houcvrt  ■ 
niucli  about  licr  a-^  t<»  Ix*  sine  tli.it  -lie  w.i-  i^aininLi 
strcn;^tlt  in  Sicily.  I  lif  rondition  nf  the  (ir< 
in  that  inland  ua^  "nin-'-  from  had  to  umi-n*  Most  nt 
tlieni  liad  lallcn  iiiL-  L..v  hancK  oi  t\  rants,  and  th(  -<' 
tyr.ints    wcac   al\  intrij^uinj^    or    fi-htiii;.:     <     nn^L 

each  other.  (  .irliia  til  the  while  uas  st( -adily 
\valchin;4  her  oj>|)ortii,htie<;  arul  extendini^  lier  jxAMr. 
In  344  she  had  l)rLonK:  >u  dani;* ituis  that  some 
S>'r.uu><iM  eitizcns,  who  had  been  '.  anishcil  !)>■  the 
youni^er  iJionysius,  >on  of  the  tyrant  of  that  iiiiine  of 
wh( jni  -SO  mnch  was  said  in  the  last  chapter,  resoKcd 
to  Ctill  in  the  aid  ot  Cornith.  (..rnitli  w.is  tlie  niotlier- 
city  of  Svr.uiise,'  and  the  tie  l)rtur('n  the  two  had 
alua\s  been  close.  The  Corinthian^,  listeiu  d  to  their 
request,  and,  as  it  hai^fx'ncd,  liari  at  hand  just  the 
man  who  was  wanted,  i  unoieon  ua-s  one  kA  tiie  best 
and  noblest  of  their  citizen^  ;  but  h  is  the  most 
unhappy.  He  had  had  a  terrible  duty  put  ui)on  him. 
A  brother  w horn   he  had   lo\ed  had   tried  to  make 

'  The  founilcr  aii.i  tirst  colonists  of  Syracuse  had  come  from  Corinth. 


TIMOlfOX  DECLARES  WAR  AGAIXST   CARTIIAGE.     Jl 

himself  tyrant  in  Corinth,  and  Timoleon  had  ordered 
'^""  t(i  Ik ■  put  to  death,  or,  as  some  sa\',  had  killed 
liim  with  his  own  hand.  After  this  dreadful  act  done 
to  ,aM:  his  (ountr)-,  he  had  shut  himself  up  in  his 
house.  When  the  Syracusan  en\'oys  came  with  their 
request,  lie  was  i^dad  to  ,1,^0,  and  his  countrymen  were 
[^lad  to  send  In'm. 

It  was  but  a  small  force  that  Timoleon  could  get 
to^X'ther   for   his   enterprise       ten    ships   of  war,   and 
seven  hun<lr(d   mercenaries.     The  Carthaginians  sent 
a  s(|uadn.n   to  interc(  jit   him.     This  he  contrived  to 
escapr,  and  landed  in  Sicily.    The  tale  of  his  wonder- 
ful achie\(iii(  nts   doc -s   not    Ijelong  to  my  story.     It 
must   be   cnoui^di    to   say   that    he   .i^Mined   possession 
o(  .S)Tacuse,  thouj^di  one  of  his  opponents  had  actually 
introduced  tlie  C Carthaginians  into  that  city  ;  that  he 
gave  it   free  government,  and  that  he  did   the  same 
service  to  other  Sicilian  towns.     To  gain   means  for 
these   enter}jrises   he    is    said    to  have   plundered  the 
(  arthaginian    territory.       However   this    may   be,    we 
may  be  sure  that  Carthage  would  not  look  u})on  these 
proceedings  with  favour.     War  was  declared   before 
long,  and   the   Carthaginians   e.xerted  themselves  to 
the  utmost  to  meet  their  new  enemy.    They  collected 
an  army  of  70,000  fit  ma>'  be  noticed  that  the  num- 
bers become  smaller  and  more  credible  as  we  go  on;, 
well    furnished    with    the   artillery  of  the    time,  and 
supplied   with   abundance  of  provisions.      As   usual, 
this  army  consisted  for  the  most  part  of  mercenaries, 
but  it  contained  also  a  numerous  force— one  historian 
puts   it  at  ten   thousand  — of  native  Carthaginians. 
The  fleet  transported  it  safely  to  Lilybaeum,  and  it 


i 

m 


72 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


at  once  commenced  its  march  eastward.  Timoleon 
had  but  a  small  force  with  which  to  meet  this  great 
host.  In  Syracuse  he  could  not  r.iiM  more  than  three 
thousand  ;  of  mcrcenar\'  troops,  after  he  had  sent 
away  a  thousand  lat^i^ards  and  cowards,  he  had  about 
as  many  more.  Hut  he  boldly  marched  out  with  his 
six  tliousand,  and  found  tlie  enem)'  encamped  on  the 

river  Crimessus. 

It  w.is  nearl)'  midsummer,  ; md  the  heat  of  the  sun 
had  drawn  up  (nnn  tlie  low  ground  near  the  river  a 
thick  f^)g.  The  Greeks  n )uld  see  nothing  of  the 
enemy's  camp,  but  they  cvntld  hear  the  confu-'d  lumi 
of  many  \-oiccs  rising  uj)  from  it.  As  tlie  sun  grew 
stronger,  the  mist  began  t* .  liR  from  the  \alle\',  though 
it  still  lingereti  on  the  hills  ;  and  as  it  cleared  away 
the  river  could  be  seen,  and  the  great  C "arthaginian 
army  in  the  ver\'  act  of  crossing  it,  with  tlie  four-horse 
chariots  in  front,  and  after  them  a  solid  body  of 
infantry,  ten  thousand  in  number,  si)ienditll\'  armed 
and  bearing  white  shields.  These  were  the  native 
Carthaginians,  and  their  march  v  rderl\-  and  slow. 
After  them  came  the  mixed  crowd  of  hned  troops, 
disorderly  and  unruly,  struggling  \xh( >  should  first 
cross  the  river.  Timoleon  saw  his  uj-portunit)-,  while 
the  army  of  the  enemy  was  still  divided,  some  being 
actually  in  the  river,  and  some  on  the  further  shore. 
The  native  Carthaginians  were  just  struggling  up  the 
bank  and  forming  themselves  in  line,  when  the  Greek 
cavalry  fell  upon  them.  At  first  charge  after  charge 
was  made  in  vain.  The  charie.ts  of  the  enemy  were 
driven  furiously  backwards  and  forwards  in  front  of 
the  army,  and  the  Greek  horsemen  had  to  do  their 


BATTLE   OF    THE    CRIMESSUS. 


73 


i 


I 


very  best  to  prevent  their  own  lines  being  broken  by 
them  ;  on  the  lines  of  the  enemy  they  could  make 
no  impression.  Timoleon,  who  had  about  him  a 
small  force  of  Syracusans  and  picked  mercenaries, 
came  up  to  the  help  of  his  cavalry.  They  were  no 
loni:er,he  said,  to  attack  the  front  line  of  the  enemy — 
that  with  that  he  would  himself  engage— but  were  to 
fall  upon  the  Hanks.  Putting  his  men  into  as  compact 
a  body  as  possible,  something,  we  may  guess,  like  the 
phalanx  with  whicli  the  Macedonians  won  so  many 
victories,  he  charged  the  enemy.  But  even  he  for 
a  time  could  do  nothing.  The  iron  breastplates,  the 
helmets  of  brass,  the  great  shields  which  covered 
almost  the  whole  of  the  body,  resisted  the  Greek 
spears.  At  this  moment  fortune,  or,  as  the  Greeks 
would  have  said,  Zeus  the  cloud-compeller,  helped 
him.  Suddenly  a  storm,  with  loud  peals  of  thunder 
and  vivid  flashes  of  lightning,  burst  from  the  hills. 
The  mist,  which  had  been  hanging  about  the  heights, 
came  down  again  upon  the  plain,  and  brought  with  it 
a  tempest  of  rain  and  wind  and  hail.  The  Greeks 
only  felt  them  behind  ;  the  Carthaginians  had  them 
dashing  in  their  faces  ;  the  rain  and  hail  and  lightning 
blinded  them  ;  the  thunder  would  not  allow  them  to 
hear  the  words  of  command.  Then  the  ground  grew 
slippery  beneath  their  feet  ;  and  the  heavy  armour 
became  a  hindrance  rather  than  a  protection.  They 
could  hardly  move  from  place  to  place  ;  they  found  it 
difficult  to  stand  ;  when  once  they  had  fallen  it  was 
impossible  to  rise.  Then  came  a  new  trouble.  The 
river,  partly  swollen  by  the  rain,  partly,  it  is  said, 
dammed  back  by  the  multitude  of  troops  that  were 


74 


T! 


TORY    r  {RTIIAGE, 


ci'^^-^^'f^::  'f.  < 'Vf-rflrrAcd  i      banks,  an<I  tlir  h.;.i\\-armc(l 
Carthaginians  stimiblcd  anfl  n.l!c,l  alxait  in  tli(- watc -r. 

First  the  frruit  Hnr  ^v;,-;  cm    •,,  j,., ,  .  ,    thru  tlic  whole 

vaniiuar.!    was    hioLcn  ;    tiiialK'   the    arrn\-  waw 

Maru-  were  cut  douii  in  xhv  plain.  inan\' drowned  in 
the  ri\(T.and  \ct  more  intercepted  by  th(»  li-ht  troops 
as  the\-  w  ..  atteni|)tin;4-  to  reach  the  hili-..  Ten 
thousand  lay  dead  uim.ii  the  Held,  and  ot  ih  -n  Ks. 
than  tliree  tliousantl  u  artha-iiiiaii  citi/ervs.      'Ihe 

city  liad  ne\-er  suffered  ^u-h  a  I,...  Ix-fore.  It  \va> 
not  now  Africans  or  Spamard^.  but  lu  ,  oun  children 
for  whnni  she  li.id  l<»  mourn 

luen  after  this  crudiini^  def -at  the  war  was  not  at 
an  end.  llie  (iiceks  were,  a-  u<n;d,  df\-i.l.  d  .imon<'- 
themseive.  :    an.)    th..    cnemie.    ,,i     iinioieiai    invit<:d 

C  artha-e    to   naiuiuu:    the    wn.    and    j)roniis( 'd    their 

own  hell).  Another  battle  ua.  fou-ht.  and  witli  the 
same  resuit.  'riuMi  ("artha-e  asked  tor  jxace.  It  u;is 
"••^''^'*''  ' '"  ^'"-  ■■'"iditiern  tliat  she  should  keep  Ik  r-  ]t~ 
1^«>  lli^'  \\»  Mem  >ide  (tf  the  II  /  >,  and  th.it  she 
should  ne,t  |»ret(iid  to  interfere  witli  the  -uvernrnent 
of  the  Sicilian  cities. 


, 


VI. 


(  ARTllAGK   AND   AGATIIOCLES. 

TlAtoi  ION  died  m  337;  for  twenty  years  and  more 
there  was  pe.ice   in   Sicily;  then   the  (Wrecks  fell  out 
amon-   themselves      Carthai^e  was  called   in  to  help 
one  ot   the  parties.     Tiinol(H)n   had  restored  S\-racuse 
to  freedom  ;  but  it  had  fallen  again  into  the  hands  of 
a  t\  r.int,  Ai^athocies.      Thousands  of  the  citizens  had 
been   banished   b>   the  usurper  ;  and  these,  under  the 
leaderslnj)   of  a   certain    Dcinocrates,  made  a   treaty 
with    ("arthaoe.      Jn    309   a   powerful    expedition   set 
.sail    for  Sicily.      There   was   a  contingent  of  native 
('artha-mians  numbering  two  thousand,  among  whom 
were  some  of  the  noblest  born  of  the  citizens.  African 
and  Italian  mercenaries, and  a  tliousand  slingers  from 
the  Hale.uic  Islands.    Its  start  was  unlucky.    A  great 
storm  sank  sixty  of  the  shi])s  of  war,  and  more  than 
two   hundred    transports,   and    the    rest    of  the    fleet 
readied   Sicil>'  in  a  sadly  battered  condition.      It  was 
ea>\-,   however,   to    find    recruits    in    the    island,    and 
llamilcar.   uho   was   in    command,   had    soon   under 
lum    an    army  of   40,000    infantr\'   and    5.000  horse. 
/Xgathocles  met  him  at  a  place  famous  in  the  history 
of  Sicilian  wars,  the  river   Himera.     The  battle  that 
followed    began    well    for   the   Greeks      Some   troops 


Ill 


— *■ -■ - 1 jiJiiiiais.1! 


76 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


which    A^athocles    had    put    in    ambush   near    the 
river  fell  upon   a  Carthaginian  detachment  as  it  was 

crossing;  the  stream,  laden  witli   plunder,  and  drove 
them  in  confusion  to  their  camp.     Their  commander 
thought  it  a  i^ood  opportunity  fV)r  a  general  attack. 
At    first    ever}thing    went    well  ;    the    Greek    army 
assaulted   the  Cartha^^nnian   cami),  and  at  one  time 
seemcil  likely  to  take  it.      Tlien  the  fortune  of  the 
day  chaM)_^cd.      Tlu'    Balearic   slingcrs  were  brought 
into  action,  and   killed   and  wounded   many  of  the 
assailants.     These  ^till  kept  u|)  the  attack,  but  at  this 
moment  appeared  a  fresh  scjuadron  from  Africa,  and 
took  them  in  the  rear,     llie  defenders  of  the  camp 
took  frcsfi  courage  ;  tlie  attack  was  finally  repulsed, 
and  soon  chan^^ed  into  a   rout.     Five  miles  of  level 
ground  lay  betu  ccn  the  two  camps  ;  tlie  Carthaginian 
cavalry  could    act    on   this  with   freedom,  and   they 
made  dreadful  havoc  among  the  fugitives.     Another 
cause,  and  tliis   a  strange  one,  increased   the   Greek 
loss.     Tlic  battle  was  fought  in  the  heat  of  summer 
and  at  midday.     Many  of  the  fugitives  had  made  for 
the  river  rather  than  for  their  cani[),  and  tliey  reached 
it  in  ii  state  of  raging  thirst.      1  lu:  w  ater  was  salt,  or 
at   least  strongly  brackish,  but  they  drank  greedily 
of    it,   iind    with    fatal    results.      Many   unwounded 
corpses  were  found  u[)on  the  banks.     The  total  loss 
of  the  Greeks  was  se\'en  thousand,  that  of  the  Cartha- 
ginians not  more  than  five  hundred.    Agathocles  shut 
himself  ui)  in  Gela,  hoping  thus  to  divert  Hamilcar's 
attention  from  Syracuse,  where  the  people  would  then 
gain  time  to  gather  in  their  harvests.     The  Cartha- 
ginian general  began  the  siege,  but  seeing  that  he  had 


AGATHOCLES   IN  EXTREMITIES.  yy 

h'ttle  chance  of  taking  the  place,  soon  changed  his 
plan.     His  first  step  was  to  win  over  the  other  Greek 
cities  by  kind  treatment  and  liberal  offers.     Many  of 
them  joined  him  ;  their  own  danger  was  imminent 
and  they  hated  Agathocles. 

Reduced  to  the  last  extremity,  for  nearly  all  Sicily, 
with  the  exception  of  Syracuse,  was  lost  to  him,  thiJ 
extraordinary    man    conceived    one    of    the   boldest 
devices    which    history   records.      He  determined  to 
transfer  the  war  to  Carthage  itself.      That  city,  he 
knew,  was  not  prepared  for  an  attack,  and  its  African 
subjects  were  always  ill-afifected,  and  he  believed,  and 
rightly  believed,  that  it  could  be  best  attacked.     This 
scheme  he   kept  a   profound  secret.      The  measures 
that  he  took  for  carrying  it  out   were   most  skilful, 
and,  it  must  be  added,  most  unprincrpled.     He  began 
by  choosing  the  force  which  he  was  to  take  with  him 
most  carefully.     The  greater  part  of  it  was  cavalry. 
1-forses  he  had  no  means  of  transporting  to  Africa 
but  he  hoped  to  find  them  there,  and  the  men  were 
ordered  to  furnish  themselves  with  bridles  and  saddles. 
' ^^  ^^^^   to  guard  against  a  revolution  in  Syracuse 
during   his   absence;    and    he   was    careful    to    take 
hostage  for  good  behaviour  from  all  the  most  power- 
ful   families    in    the   city  ;    putting   one   brother,   for 
instance,  in  the  garrison,  and  enlisting  another  in  his 
own  arm>'.     Then  he  wanted  money.     He  gave  notice 
that  any  citizen  who  might  be  unwilling  or  unable  to 
endure    the    hardships  of  a  siege  was  at  liberty   to 
dei)art.     The  offer  was  accepted  by  numbers  of  the 
rich.     They  had  the  means  of  living  elsewhere,  and 
they  hated  the  rule  of  the  tyrant.     They  were  accord- 


Jo 


THE    STORY    OF   CAKIIIAGE, 


iiinly  pcrinittt 'li  l>;  iici).irt.  and  to  t;ikc  their  property 

with  thciri.      Hut    A;.iatlioc]r         ■  ■  of  lii->   iiier- 

cciiarics  afti  r  tlicin.  The  unh.utpx-  iii'-ii  were  r(»l)l)ecl 
and   inur(lerc<l.   and   tli>  litid   liiniscU~  amply 

provided  witli  iih  .ti.^. 

lie    th< Ti    ernf)iik(d    hi^    f'  liich    tllied  sixty 

ships  of    war.       1  lie   tlrst    ii'  itv   was   t"   a\(tid   the 

l)loc:kadin;4  squadron,  which  was  much  stroni^er  than 
lii^  own.  Just  at  tlie  ri^dit  tune  a  fleet  of  eorn-shi{)S 
apiK'arcd  off  the  har!)our.  lli*  '  ntlia,^inians  left 
then-  |>ost  to  }>ur>ut:  them,  and   /\i;ath<  took    the 

O|)portunity  l-  'iil   n(  the  harbour       l\>v  a  time 

the  CartliaL^im.i..  .tdmiral  c  xjiected  ;in  attack,  think ini^ 
that  th'  "  iMcu-a!!  tli".*t  had  "ir  out  to  fiLjIu  for  the 
corn-shij)s  ;  tlu-ii  ^( \  iu:^^  tliat  n  uas  sail  in.;  in  tlie  other 
(111  >n,    li  cliase.     The  result    ua>  a  double 

^  :.      ■■»■ 

>uccr^->  to  A''atho(  les.  Ihciorn  ^hiI'  •  »t  ^afeh'  into 
harbour,  and  relir  '  the  citv,  v\liicn  u.i^  alrcad}' 
be<^innin'j  to  suffer  troin  Ncarcitv  ;  and  tlie  siiuadron, 
which    had    f^ot    a       »ti- id cralilr    -tart,  iped.      The 

esca|ie,  imieed,  \\a>  a  iiaii>'\\  "iic.  the  r.icc  lasted  for 
five  days  .uid  niLdits  On  the  mornirv^  ol  the  ^ixth 
day  the  Carthaginian  llect  un  v  tedlvajipcared  closv: 

at  hand  I^otli  ^Jdcs  strained  everv  nerve  ;  but  the 
(irceks  won  tlie  oilc.  Thev  reached  the  land  first, 
but  the  foremost  of  the  Carthai,nni,in  ^hips  were  close 
upon  them.      In  tlie  skirmish  that  foil  1  these  were 

too  weak  to  act  with  nm-  cffxt.  atid  \  'athucles  not 
only  landed  in  safcix ,  oui  wa-  ;d)le  to  luiiify  a  camj) 
close  to  which  he  beaclied  liis  shij^ 

But  he  had   in  liis  mmd  a  yet  l>oldcr  stroke.     I le 
burnt  hi^  sh![)s      Forced  thus  to  give  u[)  all  hope  of 


|i 


AGATHOCLES   IXVADES   AFRICA, 


8i 


escape,  the  army  must  now  conquer  or  perish.  At 
fust  they  were  in  despair;  but  Agathocles  did  not 
L;i\e  them  much  time  to  think  about  their  situation. 
Me  led  them  to  attack  a  district  in  which  the 
wealthiest  citizens  of  Carthac^e  had  their  farms  and 
countr}'  houses.  It  was  a  region  of  rich  pastures,  of 
oliveyards  and  vineyards,  and  the  Sicilians  were 
astonished  at  the  i)lenty  which  they  saw.  Two  towns 
fell  easily  into  their  hands,  and  their  despair  was  soon 
changed  into  confidence.  At  Carthage  there  was  the 
utmost  dismay.  It  was  commonly  believed  that  the 
whole  force  in  Sicily  had  perished,  for  no  one  could 
sii})pose  that  Agathocles  could  have  ventured  to  leave 
Sxracuse  in  danger  and  attack  Africa.  Some  were 
for  treating  for  .peace;  others  advised  delay  till  the 
truth  could  be  found  out.  When  news  of  what  had 
really  happened  arrived,  they  were,  of  course,  greatly 
encouraged,  and  prepared  to  attack  the  invaders. 

In  the  first  battle  that  took  place,  it  is  interest- 
ing to  see  the  list  of  combatants  on  either  side. 
Agathocles,  besides  his  own  Syracusans,  had  Sam- 
nites,  Etruscans,  and  Celts  (probably  Gauls)  in  his 
army.  The  whole  amounted  to  about  eleven  thou- 
sand, but  many  of  them  were  insufficiently  armed. 
There  was  no  little  discouragement  among  them,^ 
and  the  result  seemed  doubtful.  The  day,  indeed, 
might   have    gone    in    favour   of    Carthage   but    for 

'  A  strange  story  is  told  of  the  device  by  which  Agathocles  endea- 
voured to  give  coiifulence  to  his  men  He  had  a  number  of  tame  owls 
which  he  let  loose  in  the  court.  The  l)irds  settled  on  the  shields  and 
helim  Is  of  the  soldiers.  The  owl  was  the  sacred  bird  of  Athene 
iMin  rv.i),  and  the  soldiers  looked  upon  this  incident  as  a  proof  of  the 
yoddcss'  favour. 


w 


8,2 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


the  nisfortune  of  the  death  of  one  of  her  generals, 
and  the  treachery  of  another.  The  two  Suffetes 
of  the  year  were  II  anno  and  Bornilcar.  Hanno 
was  in  command  of  the  Sacred  Band  of  native 
Carthaj^inians.  Eager  to  break  the  opposing  line, 
\vh( Tc  Agathocles  himself  was  in  command,  he 
exposed  himself  too  rashly,  and  was  killed.  Bomil- 
car  had  designs  of  making  himself  a  tyrant  in 
Carthage,  and  felt  that  the  defeat  of  the  invaders 
would  not  help  him  in  his  object.  1 le  seems  even 
to  have  had  a  treacherous  understanding  with  the 
enemy.  To  liis  own  officers  he  pretended  that  tho 
death  of  his  colleague  made  it  necessary  to  retreat. 
The  Carthaginian  mercenaries  soon  took  to  flight  ; 
the  Sacred  Host  held  its  ground  for  a  long  time,  but 
was  at  last  compelled  to  retreat.  The  camp  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Greeks. 

Ag.ithocles  continued  his  successes,  and  carried 
the  war  almost  up  to  the  walls  of  Carthage.  Mean- 
while things  had  been  going  well  with  him  at  Syracuse. 
Hamikar  had  made  a  night  attack  upon  the  city,  had 
failed,  and  had  been  taken  prisoner.  Mis  head  was 
cut  off,  and  sent  to  Agathocles  in  Africa.  Carthage 
suffered  defeat  after  defeat  in  a  series  of  battles,  which 
it  would  be  tedious  to  relate.  At  last  the  people 
found  out  one  cause,  at  least,  of  their  ill-fortune. 
Bornilcar  had  all  along  been  playing  the  part  of 
a  traitor.  He  now  thought  that  the  time  was  come 
for  seizing  the  prize  of  absolute  power  which  he  had 
alwa\'s  had  in  view.  He  ordered  a  review  of  the 
troops  in  the  city,  When  it  had  been  held,  he  dis- 
missed  all  that  were  not  pledged  to   support  him. 


•r. 
y. 

Si 
< 


ill, 
III 

I 

I 


* 


REVOLT   OF  BOMILCAR. 


S5 


Kccpinj^  the  remainder,  five  hundred  native  Carthagi- 
nians and  five  thousand  mercenaries,  he  proclaimed 
himself  kini;,  and  commenced  a  massacre  of  all  his 
opponents.  If  Agathocles  outside  the  walls  had  known 
of  what  was  going  on,  and  had  arranged  an  attack 
for  the  same  time,  Carthage  was  lost.  The  battle  in 
the  streets  raged  fiercely.  Bomilcar  and  his  adherents 
forced  their  wav  into  the  market-place.  But  the  place 
could  not  be  held.  It  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
lofty  houses,  which  were  occupied  by  the  friends  of 
the  government,  and  from  which  showers  of  javelins 
were  discliarged  on  the  revolters.  Bomilcar  was 
compelled  to  retreat  into  the  New  City.  Finally  a 
truce  was  agreed  to.  An  amnesty  was  promised,  and 
the  rebels  laid  down  their  arms.  But  Bomilcar  was 
too  dangerous  a  person,  and  had  done  too  much  harm, 
to  be  allowed  to  escape.  The  rulers  of  Carthage, 
never  much  troubled  by  scruples,  moral  or  religious, 
broke  their  oath  and  crucified  him.  The  tide  of 
success  did  not  turn  at  once.  Agathocles  took 
Utica,'  the  largest  of  the  Phoenician  cities  in  Africa 
after  Carthage,  and  a  number  of  other  towns,  till 
Carthage  was  almost  stripped  of  allies  and  subjects. 

Agathocles  was  now  recalled  by  urgent  affairs  t<; 
Syracuse.  He  left  his  son  Archagathus  in  command 
of  the  African  army.  Archagathus  was  too  ambitious, 
and    undertook    enterprises,   especially   against    the 

*  Another  strange  story  is  told  of  the  device  which  he  used  in 
approaching  this  city.  He  had  captured  three  hundred  of  the  chief 
citizens.  These  he  suspended  alive  on  a  tower  which  he  brought  up 
close  to  the  gates,  and  which  he  had  fdled  with  archers  and  slingers. 
The  defenders  of  Utica  could  not  defend  themselves  against  this  attack 
without  wounding  or  killing  their  own  countrymep. 


I 


I 


g6  THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

xrandcrin-  tribe,  of  the  interior,  for  which  his  strength 
was  not  sufficient.  Carthage,  on  the  other  hand,  was 
now  under  wiser  rule.  The  army  was  divided  into 
three  .u.p^,  ...ch  of  whi.  h  carried  on  separate  opera- 
tior  ainst    the   invade...     Archagathus   suffered  a 

great  defeat  under  the  walls  of  the  city,  and  was  also 
weakened  hv  the  revolt  of  manj-  of  h.s  allies.  His 
father  now  r.lurnei!  from  Sicily,  and  for  a  time  re- 
stored the  hal.mce.  Hut  an  attack  on  the  Lartha-inian 
camp  l.roved  t>  t  failure.     Then  occurred  a  stran-c 

succes-ion  of  chan.4e>  of  fortune.     The  Carthaginian., 
in  celebrating  their  la.t  victory  after  their  own  hideous 
fa.shion   with   human   sacrifice,  set   fire  to  their  camp. 
When  the  confusion  wa-,  at  its  highest,  some  African 
mercenaries  who  had  taken  service  with  Agathoclcs, 
deserted  to' the  Carthaginians.     Their  approach  was 
taken  a.  an  ho.tile  attack,  and  a  general  panic  followed. 
When  the  mistake    was    discovered,  some    were    ad- 
mitted into  the  chv,  and  there  made  the  very  san.e 
panic   among  the  (.reeks  which  they  had  just  made 
amonu    the    Carthaginians.      Agathocles    lost    more 
than  four  thousand    men   through  this  mishap.     His 
\hican  allies  now   left  him,  and  he  began  to  despair 
uf  success,     lie  had  no  hope  of  being  able  to  get  terms 
from  the  enemv,  and  no  means  of  carrying  away  his 
•irnu-        His  plan   was  to  depart  secretly,  taking  the 
voun>-er  of  his  two  sons  with  him.     But  Archagathus 
'the  e^der  iliscovered  the  scheme,  and   revealed  it  to 
the  army.    The  soldiers,  furious  at  the  thought  of  being 
thus  deserted,  mutinied,  seized  Agathocles  and  put  him 
in  chains.     Kverything  was  now  in  disorder.     Finally, 
AgatltDclcs  contrived  to  escape  from  confinement,  and 


PVRRHUS. 


89 


to  malce  his  way  to  Sicily.  The  army  being  thus 
abandoned,  rcvenj^cd  itself  by  murdering  his  sons,  and 
then  made  peace  with  Carthage.  They  gave  up  all  the 
towns  which  they  had  captured,  and  received  three 
hundred  talents,  a  free  passage  for  such  as  wished  to 
go,  and  service  in  the  army  of  Carthage  for  such  as 
preferred  to  remain.  The  city  had  been  besieged  for 
four  vears.  It  was  now  safe,  and,  indeed,  seems  to 
have  soon  recovered  her  old  strength.  A  few  years 
afterwards  we  find  her  helping  her  old  enemy 
Agathocles— in  return,  no  doubt,  for  substantial 
advantages — to  make  himself  supreme  over  Sicily. 

The  last  Greek  antagonist  with  whom  Carthage 
had  to  deal  might  well  have  been  the  most  formidable 
of  all.  Pyrrhus,  king  of  Epirus,i  was  of  the  kindred  of 
Alexander  the  Great,  through  Alexander's  mother, 
Olympias.  He  had  conceived  a  scheme  of  conquest 
which  should  be  like  that  achieved  by  his  famous 
kinsman.  But  as  Alexander  had  gone  eastward,  so 
he  would  go  westward.  His  famous  conversation  with 
his  philosophical  adviser  will  show  us  what  were  his 
plans,  and  I  will  give  it,  as  Plutarch  tells  it,  in  dialogue 

form  : 

CiNEAS.  The  Romans,  my  lord  Pyrrhus,  are  said  to 
be  great  warriors,  and  to  rule  over  many  nations.  If, 
by  the  favour  of  God,  we  conquer  them,  what  use  shall 
we  make  of  our  victory  ? 

Pyrrhus.  That  is  an  easy  question  to  answer. 
There  will  be  no  city,  Greek  or  barbarian,  that,  if 
Rome  be  once  conquered,  will  be  able  to  withstand 
us.    We  shall  certainly  gain  the  whole  of  Italy,  of 

*  The  modern  All)ania. 


QO 


Til!     ^TiiRY   OF   CARTHAGE. 


the  j^^rcatn  xcellencp.  and  wealth  of  which  you,  of 

a  1 1  m c n ,  c a n r i o t  be  i . , . .     .int. 

( 'iM  A>  after  a  brief  silence  .  After  L^MJninj:^  Italv, 
what  shall  we  do  next  ? 

I  *  \ "  \<  K I  i  r  ^  '  n  ( >  t  \  ■  <  t  M  •  c  i  n  <^  1 1  i  s  d  r  i  ft  .  C 1  o  >  e  t  < )  1 1  a  1  \  • 
i>  Sicilv,  stretchin<^  out  lier  hands  to  us.  a  wealthy 
iNlaiid    and   a   |)< iiiulnus,  and   t  .i^\'   to   sulxlue.     Since 

th( ■  d( 'ath  of  A;4atliocles  it  has  [)c<'n  all  confusion,  for 

lack  of  <4o\ernrnent  in  the  city  and  the  folly  of  them 
that  l<'ad  the  peojilc. 

Ci\i  As.  1  hat  is  like  enough.  When  we  have  con- 
ciuered  Sicily,  shall  we  come  to  ;ui  end  of  our  wars? 

l'\'RR! Ills.  I  leaven  jjrospcr  our  undertakini^^s  so  far  ! 
Well,  then,  wlio  would  not  go  on  to  Africa  and  Car- 
tha'^u:,  Cartlia-e  wlucli  will  then  be  in  mv  j^rasp  ^ 
I )id  not  Ai^athoclcs,  thou;.;h  he  had  to  run  away,  so 
to  speak,  from  S\racu-c ,  with  only  a  handful  of  ships, 
come  \er\-  near  to  takini^  jt } 

We  are  not  concerned  just  now  with  the  rest  of  the 
conversation, or  with  the  moral  which  Cineas  drew  from 
it."  It  was  a  splendid  plan,  and  I*\rrluis  was  one  who 
had  all  the  tienius  that  was  wanted  to  carry  it  out. 
Hannibal,  no  mean  judjj^c  in  such  a  matter,  thought 
him  the  greatest  'jeneral  -  that  had  ever  lived.  But 
the  beginning  of  his  great  cnteri)rise  was  the  hardest 
part  of  it — too  hard,  indeed,  for  him  to  accomplish. 

'  IJricfly  it  was  this  :  *•  Master  of  Carthaf^c."  said  Pvrrhiis,  «*  I  shall 
come  and   make  myself  lord  nf  (ireece."     "  DouluU-  ad  Cineas; 

**  and  what  then  ?  "  *'  Then,"  answered  the  kini;,  witli  a  laut:;h,  "  thcti 
we  will  sit  down  and  enjoy  ourselves."  *•  Why  not  sit  down  now  .'' 
was  the  philosopher's  reply. 

*  Anoiher  version  of  the  story  puts  Alexander  first  and  Pyrrhus 
second. 


PYRRHUS  LEAVES   SICILY. 


91 


He  spent  his  strength  in  vain  on  Rome.  He  defeated 
her  armies,  but  he  could  not  conquer  her.  Rome,  we 
may  say,  saved  Carthage  from  conquest.  These  two 
were  to  fight  for  the  mastery  of  the  West. 

His   own  dealings  with   Carthage  may  be  briefly 
told.     After  two  campaigns  in  Italy,  in  which  he  had 
won  much  glory  but  little  else,  he  passed  over  into 
Sicily  in  the  spring  of  278.     The  Greek  cities  had 
invited  him  to  come  ;  they  wanted  him  to  help  them 
a-ainst  their  old  enemy  Carthage.     At  first  he  carried 
exerything  before  him,  but   Carthage  offered   him  a 
large   sum    of  money  and  a   fleet  which  should  co- 
operate with  him  in  his  enterprises.     He  refused  these 
terms.     Nothing,  he  said,  would  satisfy  him— and  we 
cannot  but  admire  his  fine  feeling  for  the  honour  of 
the  Greek  name— but  that  Carthage  should  quit  the 
island   altogether  and    make   the   sea    the  boundary 
between    Greece   and   herself      After   this    his  o-ood 
fortune  left  him.     The  Greeks  grew  weary  of  th  mV  ally. 
They   plotted    against    him,  and    he    retaliated    with 
severities    which    made    them   hate    him    still    more. 
Then  he  failed  in  an  attempt  to  storm  the  fortress  of 
Lilybc-Eum  ;  and  even  his  reputation  as  a  soldier  was 
damaged.     At  last  there  was  nothing  left  for  him  but 
to  go.     "  How  fair  a  wrestling  ring,"  he  said,  as  he 
looked  back  from  his  ship  upon  the  island ;  "  how  fair 
a  wrestling  ring,  my  friends,  are  we  leaving  to  Rome 
and   Carthage!"     In  the  fourth  part  of  my  story  I 
shall  tell  the  tale  of  this  wrestling  match. 


i 


PART  III. 


THE  INTERNAL  HISTORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

I.— Carthaginian  Discoverers. 
II.— Constitution  and  Relkuon  of  Carthage. 
lit— Revenue  and  Trade  of  Carthage. 


L 


CARTHAGINIAN   DISCOVERERS. 


The  "  Story  of  Carthage  "  is  mainly  a  story  of  war. 
or  the  peo|)Ie  themselves  and  of  their  life  we  hear  very 
little    indeed,  and  that  little  either  from  enemies  or 
strangers.     But    there   are   some   exceptions,  and  of 
thcni  the  most  interesting  is  the  account  of  the  voyage 
of  colonization   and   discovery  made   by  Hanno,   an 
account  which  has  been  preserved  ;  not  indeed  in  his 
own  language—for  of  the  Carthaginian  tongue  we  have 
but  a  few  words  remaining— but  in  a  Greek  translation. 
The  date  of  Hanno  is  not  certain.     He  is  supposed  to 
have  been  either  the  father  or  the  son  of  the  Hamilcar 
whc  ^e!l  at  Himera.      There  is  little  to  make  the  one 
supposition  more  probable   than  the  other.     On  the 
whole,  I  am  inclined  to  accept  the  earlier  time.     Car- 
thage was  certainly   more  prosperous,  and  therefore 
more  likely  to  send  out  such  an  expedition  before  the 
disaster  of  Himera  than  after  it.      In  this  case  the 
date  may  be  put  as  520  B.C.       Hanno's  account  of 
his  voyage  is  interesting  enough  to  be  given  in  full. 
I  shall  add  a  few  notes  on  points  that  seem  to  require 
explanation. 
"It  was  decreed  by  the  Carthaginians  that  Hanno 


96 


THE   STORY   OF   CARTHAGE. 


should  sail'  bcyorit I  the  rillir-;  of  Hercules  2  and 
found  cities  of  the  Lib) -Phcnicians-^  /  .rdinj^^ly 
he  sailed  with  sixty  ships  of  fifty  oars  each,  and  a 
multitude  of  men  and  women  to  the  number  of  thirty 
thousand,^  and  provisions  and  other  equipment. 

**  When  we  had  set  sail  and  passed  the  Pillars,  after 
two  days'  vo\age,  we  founded  the  first  city  and  named 
it  Thym  later  turn.  IVInw  this  city  lay  a  great  plain. 
Sailing  thence  westward  wc  came  to  Soloeis,5  a 
promontory  of  Lib)  a,  thickly  covered  with  trees. 
Here  we  built  a  ternjile  to  Poseidon  ;  6  and  pro- 
ceeded thence  half  a-day's  journey  eastward,  till  wc 
reached  a  lake  lying  not  hr  from  the  sea,  and 
filled  with  abundance  of  great  reeds.  Here  were 
feeding  elephants  and  a  great  number  of  other  wild 
animals. 

"After  we  had  gone  a  day's  sail  beyond  the  lakes  we 
founded  cities  near  to  the  sea,  of  which  the  names 
were  the  Fort  of  Car  icon,  Gytta,  Acra,  Melita,  and 
Arambys.      Sailing  thence  wc  came  to   Lixus,7  a 

■  The  historyof'Ti*- voyage  is  called  Periplusor  '•Circumnavigation." 
The  Greek  narrati  _  l  ;-is  in  a  MS.  in  the  Library  of  Heidelberg,  and 
was  first  published  in  153J. 

»  The  Straits  of  (iibraltar. 

*  A  mixed  }>oi)ulation  sprinpng  from  marriai^cs  of  Carthaginians 
with  native  Africans,  and  regar^kd  with  much  jealou>y  by  the  authorities 
of  Carthage. 

*  This  number  is  probably  exaggerated.  It  need  not,  however,  be 
supposed  that  all  the  colonists  were  conveyed  in  the  sixty  ships.  These 
were  probably  ships  of  war  which  convoyed  a  number  of  merchantmen, 
which  discharged  their  cargoes  of  passengers  as  the  various  colonies  were 
founded. 

5  tape  Cantin. 

*  The  Latin  Neptune,  perhaps  the  I'hoenician  Dagon. 
'  The  Wadi  Draa. 


ALONG   THE  AFRICAN  COAST. 


97 


'^reat  river  which  flows  from  Libya.      On  its  banks 
the    Lixitiu,    a    wandering   tribe,  were    feeding   their 
tlocks.     With  these  we  made  friendship,  and  remained 
among  them  certain  days.     Beyond  these  dwell  the 
Inhospitable  .l^thiopians,    inhabiting    a  country  that 
abounds  in  wild  beasts  and  is  divided  by  high  moun- 
t.iiiis,  from  which  mountains  flows,  it  is  said,  the  river 
I  ixus.     About  these  mountains  dwell  the  Troglodytae, 
men    of  strange  aspect.^     Of  these   the  Lixitae  said 
that  they  could  rur  swifter  than  horses.     Having  pro- 
cured interpreters  from  these  same  Lixitse,  we  coasted 
f.>r    two   da\s  along    an   uninhabited  country,  going 
southw  ards.     Thence  again  we  sailed  a  day's  journey 
eastward.      Here   in  the  recess  of  a  certain  bay  we 
tniind  a  small  island,  about  five  furlongs  in  circum- 
ference.    In  this  wc  made  a  settlement,  and  called  its 
name    Cerne.2      We   judged    from    our    voyage    that 
this    place  lay   right    opposit':  to   Carthage,3    for  the 
\. >\  ii!e  from  Carthage  to  the  Pillars  was  equal  to  the 
\(._.  ..^,   from  the  Pillars  to  Cerne.     After  this,  sailing 
up  a  great  river    which  is  called   Chretes,"^  we  came 

'    r.  i--ibly  negroes. 
(  ciiic  i-,  probably  to  be  placed  at  the  mouth  of  tlie  Rio  de  Ouro. 
^Miiie  i>\'  the  French  charts  give  the  name  of  Heme,  which  is  said  to 
I.  -rinlilr  a  name  u>cti  by  llie  natives. 

riu  re  i>  some  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of  this  expression.  Mr. 
I>itnl)ury  NUi;gesis  that  it  may  mean  that  the  distance  from  Carthage  to  the 
Straitsof  ( iibrallar.  and  from  the  StraitsaL^ain  to  Cerne  being  equal,  these 
ould  be  the  sides  of  an  icosceles  triangle,  of  which  the  l)ase  would  be 
liie  line  drawn  between  Carthage  and  Cerne.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
the  ancients  had  nothing  like  the  correct  notions  which  we  have  since  been 
enabled  to  form  of  the  relative  positions  of  the  various  countries  of  the 
world.  From  Cerne  lianno  made  two  voyages  of  discovery,  which  he 
now  proceeds  to  describe. 
*  The  Senegal,  which  opens  out  into  such  an  expanse  near  its  mouth. 


98  ■  ■  . 

to    ;i  ,   in   wliith   an*  ihrrc    i^LuhU   '.(nater  tliaii 

( 'cnn :.,      \'rn<  .1  (J.i;         ,ii!,  w         ....      *'.) 

t.lu„:  liirllir t  .h(.--  n*"  tT--  '  ^^■'\,      \  (rrc  it  i -^  ■  »^■^■rlHln^„[  by 

.^;i-cat   tnt.nitUai.il  >,  Ml    \uiii...  ii  tiv\  t.:Il    ■-..l\  .i_,„,t:  men   cl*..)llic(.,l 
witli  tlic  sldii .  i  >f  1 )( ■     *        'I1u;-< '  <  1  u ^  aw  a\-.  \h 'Itin;^ 

u .  with     !<»!  ailtl   not  laihl.      Sailinj^ 

thcnc-  'j  >  aiiotlirr  riviT.  •  "   't  and  ^>r.  .-,(1,  .-uk] 

full  <>1  i 1*'  and  MAtrdi'  .       i  iiencc   uuirninL; 

1);  ic  k    w  I  i  n   t  o   (■  (  r !  1  < ;   a  1 1  ( 1   (n » n  i  ( '<  •  r  n  ( '■   w  c 

sailed     .      .  \ards     tli>  aitli    lor     IwcKc    day-, 


i:  I  II  \< 


co;istin<4-  idonj:^  the  land.  The  whole  of  this  land  is 
inliabitcd  l.>\-  h'tlii(tr>iaii-.  These  would  n<it  await  our 
approach,  but  tied  fiMm  u-;  and  tlieir  tonL;ue  could 
not  1  n '  undi  I  ■^ L '  n  M  i  t  V  K  1 1  I >\  1 1 1  e  i , i  a  i  l a  I u.i I  wci'C  w i t h 
us.     On   the  la-t     '  me  near  to  certain   lari^c 

mountains  c  d  uilh   tree>.  and  the  wootl  of  these 

tret.  weet-scented  and  of  (h'vci'- (■(  il*  *nr'>,      ScuIinL:" 

by  tlu>c  mountani.->  le>r  tiie>[nu e  ui  iwu  cut)  >,  we  came 


I'M 


anviti 


1  il  i>  not  easy  to 

r. 


GORIIJ.AS, 


99 


to  a  i^reat  openiivj,"  of  tlie  sea;  <ind  on  cither  side  of 
thi-^sea  was  .i  L;reat  jilain,  from  which  at  rn';^lU  we  saw 
hre  arisin;^"  in  all  directions.  Here  we  watered,  and 
afterwards  sailed  for  five  daes,  until  we  came  to  a 
-rt  at  baw  w  hich  the  interpreters  told  us  was  called  the 
Western  1  lorn."  in  this  l)ay  was  a  lar;4e  island,  and  in 
thi>  i.sland  a  lake  of  ^alt  v.:i^r,  and  ai;ain  in  this  lake 
another  island.  Here  we  landed  ;  and  in  the  daytime 
wf  could  find  nothini;-,  but  saw  wood  a^hes  ;  but  in  the 
niidit  iw  man\-  fires  l)urm'nL;,  and  heard  the  sound 

of  Hutes  and  cxnibals  and  drums  and  tlie  noise  of 
confusc-d  sliouts.  dreat  fearthen  came  upon  us,andthc 
proiiliet  bade  us  U  axe  this  place.  We  sailed  therefore 
(jiiickU'  the  i.(,  bein;^-  much  terrified;  and  passini^^  on 
foi  i..air  da\  ^  f*amd  at  ni-iU  a  ecuntry  full  of  fire.  In 
tlie  middle  wa^  a  !(.ft\-  fire, -reater  than  all  the  rest,  so 
tliat  it  seemed  to  toucli  the  stars.  Wdien  da\'  came 
we  found  that  this  was  a -rcat  mountain  which  they 
call  the  Cliariot  of  the  (.od..-  On  the  third  day 
of  our  dei>arture  thence,  lia\  in;^  mailed  l)y  streams  of 
fire,  \\r  tame  to  a  l)a>-  which  is  called  the  South(a-n 
I  lorn. ^  At  the  ciul  of  tin's  l)a\-  la\-  an  island  like 
to  that  which  has  been  before  de^cril)e(l.  This  island 
had  a  lake,  and  in  this  lake  another  island,  full  of 
i;^e  |)eople,of  whom  the  cacater  |)art  were  women. 
Ihcir  bf.dies  w  ( re  c< '\  eivd  wa'th  hair,  and  our  inter- 
preter^  (  ailed  them  ( iorillas.  We  i)ursued  them,  but 
the  men  we  wvie  not  able  to  catcli  ;  for  beini^  able  to 
climb  the   precii)iLes  and  defending  themselves  with 


'  Tlu' (Uil f-r  I:i^-^.il;os. 

■  Mi.  su-r-fs. 

3  Shcrboro"  Inland  and  Sound,  a  liulc  distance  south  of  Sierra  Leone, 


100 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


Stones,  these  all  escaped.  But  \vc  caiip^ht  three 
women.  But  when  these,  bitiiv^  and  tearin^^  those 
that  led  them,  would  not  follow  us,  we  slew  them, 
and  flaying  off  their  skins,  carried  these  to  Carthage. 
Further  we  did  not  sail,  for  our  food  f.iiled  us." 

This  account  was  set,  wc  arc  told,  b\-  Han  no  on  his 
return  to  Carthage  in  the  tcm|)le  of  Clironos  or  Saturn 
— the  same,  as  lias  been  Jilreadv  said,  as  tlie  Moloch 
of  Scri|)ture. 

The  elder  IMiny,  after  mentioning  the  voyage  of 
flanno,  which  he  strangely  enough  su})j)oses  to  have 
extended  as  fdv  as  the  borders  of  Arahi.i,  sav's,  *' At 
the  same  time  liimilco  was  sent  to  discover  the 
northern  coasts  of  lunojie."  Unhapjiilv.  we  nossi>ss  no 
account  of  Ilimilco's  vovage  that  c,in  Ijl  ^* .ui[>cucd  to 
the  "Circumnavigation"  of  Uann<  Ml  that  we  know 
of  his  narrative  comes  to  us  from  Avienus,  a  \er\' 
indifferent  Latin  poet,  whf >  wrote  about  geography 
towards  the  end  of  the  fuurtli  centurv  of  the  Christian 
era.  And  wliat  Avienus  professc 's  to  ([uote  fVi  »rn  liim 
has  a  verv  incrctlible  look.  It  took  him  four 
months  to  sail  from  Cartilage  t*)  a  country  which  was 
probabl)'  liiuaiii  ;  not,  as  we  might  supixa^c.  on 
account  of  rough  seas  and  stormv  winds,  but  l)ecausc 
there  are  no  bree/.es  to  make  a  ship  mo\'c,  or  because 
there  were  such  quantities  of  seaweed  that  it  was  held 
by  them  as  much  as  if  it  werepa^^in-  through  a  wood. 
Perpetual  fogs  co\-ered  everything.  Besides  these 
difficulties  the  sailor  had  to  steel  himself  against  the 
terrible  sight  of  strange  sea-monsters  with  which  these 
waters  abounded.  Avienus  profe-ses  to  have  seen 
the  narrative  of  Himilco.  and  to  quote  from  it  directly. 


A   STRANGE   TALE. 


lOI 


The  ancients  were  not  very  scrupulous  in  such  mat- 
ters, and  it  is  just  possible  that  Avienus  took  his 
information  at  second  hand.  It  has  been  suggested 
that  the  Carthaginians,  jealous  about  their  trade  and 
afraid  that  other  dealers  should  meddle  with  their 
markets,'  instructed  Himilco  to  write  such  an  account 
of  his  vo\-age  as  would  deter  every  one  else  from 
f( )llowing  in  his  steps.  It  is  certainly  not  sluggish 
seas  and  winds  not  strong  enough  to  move  a  ship 
which  are  the  obstacles  a  traveller  sailing  north 
would  chictly  have  to  dread.  However  this  may  be, 
Himilco  the  discoverer  is  little  more  than  a  name 
to  us. 

'  It  may  possil)ly  have  been  one  of  the  reasons  why  the  Carthaginians 
were  ready  to  attack  the  Thoca-ans  at  Alalia  that  these  bold  sailors  had 
visited  Tartessus  (j)rol)abIy  (iades),  had  made  friends  with  its  king,  and 
so  intruded  into  regiuOh  wliich  the  city  of  merchants  considered  to  be 
its  own. 


'nil'.  * '  >^ 


N    A\! 


\   oi    (AKm\<.i:. 


■  !t  lit  H  )!': 


I »   .. 


t      in     li  1  > 


\Vr:ki:  '■H.-H'' 

lor  Ar!-t"ttc  ii.i 
1>rH>k    !)(■■; I rni;.„(    tht*    V\ 

ta<-t.    I'll'*  tircrlv-  li.i'i  hut  lir 

.1  r>t.  from  which 


1  ni-^    i-- 


llM:ii  a  ' urioii 

f(»r.in\-«/'«M„mti"\'  h' 
tliev    I'*  it    in*'-t   <il    111 

but  lii ■  i)r.ii-''-  it   i  * 

^(  ■■•',,      i^in -i.tl   \.f|»iii 

it  [^  supi-n^  r  t*'  all  otlu;i^. 

l< MU,  .      -<'»n-- 

hr   t'.iui>v ••,    '■  '•"    ■     ■ 

no  1    C(Hilh' 

Ivranl. 

Ari-t.  •**  ■     •■'■  ■'  ■■■ 

tlM>     IKUTU:    il> 

citv  ofti-ii  <  kcuv^  ii 


,>u> 


•  t   i. 


'        'til  .ih<  ait    il, 

ill  1.  <  .11  thr  u  h 

in  niMiU'   It'  -|)  I  { - 

An. I  1h,-  :-,iw,  -  V-  i>"  r\rc\- 

ll    i^    ;i   -UK-   i)r<M)h 

.  »iiliTiMl    when    the 

l,,  tlv  .■Mn-titnti'Mi.  whi -n 

ii,i>   .ui-i  II,   aiul 
.     Ill     making     luiii>ch 


I  .  I 


i,iv  ill  '    "  k'iiv'-.    anil 

.-i    the 


I    riia;>,i-aia.'. ^ 

1  luslniv.      lUit  thc\-  uri-c  iK.tkiiv^s 

h'thr'ouinu.m    scMis.   oi"  thr   tcnn.     They   clid    not 
rv.enihlejVu-  instanoA  tlir  kni..-.i  the  l-a.tcM-n  w<nia. 


[ 


}fAGISTRATES   OF   CARTHAGE. 


103 


expressh'  coin})a''e(I  to  the  kiivj^s  of  S[)arta  ;  and 
the<e,  we  know,  liad  but  ver\-  kiiiited  power,  and 
were  httle  more  than  hiL;h  priests  .md  permanent 
commanders- in-ehief.  One  imi)ortant  difference  be- 
tween the  two  con>titutions  w.is  that,  in  Sparta,  the 
('ii^nity  was  hereditary  in  two  famih'es,  wliile  in  Car- 
tha'^e  it  was  cIclIi\c.  "  llie)'  must  beloUL^-,"  he  sax's, 
"to  one  of  certain  ihstiniJuished  families,  but  thev 
succet  (1  to  the  throne  l)y  election,  not  b\'  seniority." 
I'Uit  it  docs  not  a])])ear  that  this  election  was  aimual. 
(  )n  the  contrar\-,  once  eliosen  thc\'  were  chosen  for 
life.  These  two  ma'-istrates  were  called  1)\'  the  Romans 
"Suffetes,"  '  a  corrui)tiun  of  the  word  Shophetim,  or 
"Jud^..." 

\i  XL  to  tlie  kin-s  came  tlic  j^^cncraks.  The  two 
oflicrs  nn-ht  be  held  to'^ether,  but  thev  were  often 
-rparate.  A  kiiii;-  did  not  command  an  army  or  a 
tlcct  unKss  he  wd^  s])ecially  appointed  to  the  post. 
.Sometimes  a  [general  would  be  made  kini;"  while  he 
was  al)Sfnt  t»n  s.  rv  ice.  II anno,  who  coimnanded  the 
.1  e.\})lorin!4  and  coloni/in;^  ex[)edition  before 
ile~>cril)ed,  is  said  to  have  been  a  kin;^. 

Inlow  these  hiijh  ofhcers  of  St.ite  c.ime  a  legislative 
l)ody  which,  to  borrow  a  name  made  familiar  both  by 
anc  il 'Ut  and  by  modern  histoi}-,  we  may  call  the 
Senate.  In  this  Senate  there  were  two  bodies,  the 
Mnaller-  and  more  powerful  bcin^^  chosen  out  of  the 
ku-i^er.      I'erhaps  we  may  compare  this  Ui)per  Council 

'  I'osMi.ly  "  SulY  was  a  rcm'wu-ccucc.  of  tlie  Latin  word  sitffectus^ 

wlii.-h  \v;i.  iimM  whiii  a  inagiaraic  a.i-  .leclcd  to  till  a  vacancy  occur- 

rili:,^,  .   liiiie. 

-"  Il  "cd  of  a  iiuntlrcii  iiKjiii'rf,^. 


104  ^"^   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

to   the   cabinet  or  ministry   in  the  Constitutions  of 
England  and  the  United  Stat.  .  .,f  .\.n,-nca.     W  c  are 
told   that   it  ua.   called   into  existence  to   meet   the 
danger  which  so>mc-.   ur  later  nv.rtook   most  ot  the 
Republics  of  the  atKicnt  world.    "  When  the  House  of 
Mago  became  dangvr-u,,  t..  .i  frr       ■  itc.  an  hundred 
iud<'cs  were  chosen   from  the  senators,  who,  upon  the 
return  of  generals  from  the  war,  should  demand  an 
account  of  things  tra„.actcd  by  them,  that  they  bemg 
thereby  kept  in  awe,  should  ».  hear  themselves  m  then 
command  in  the  war,  as  to  have  re  -ard  to  the  laws  at 
home."     The  meinlx  rs  of  the  Council  seem  to  have 
been  chosen  bv  what  are  called  I'enlarchies,  /.,■„  bodies 
of  five  hv  the  (.reek  writer.     We  do  not  know  what 
these  were,  but   we  ma>-    gues.   that   the.v  were  com- 
mittees  that    had    tlu-    ehu-e    ot'  various    unportant 
parts    of    government,     as     ima.Ke-,    trade,    military 
matters,  police,  etc.     Whether  they  were  d.visions  o 
the    Council    or    the    Senate    we    cannot    say.       Hut 
one  thing  is  certain,  vi/.,  that  the  Council  was  a  re- 
markablv  unchanging  body.     It  followed  one  line  of 
policy,  we  m„,       .  >turies,  with  extraordinary 

consistency,  and  this  it  could  hardly  have  done 
except  it  had  kept  up  the  same  character  by  renew- 
ing itself.  It  is  clear  that  there  were  no  rei;ular 
ch'angcs  of  government,  no  passings  of  power  such 
as  we  see  in  the  United  States  from  Republicans 
to  Democrats,  or  in  England  from  Liberals  to  Con- 
servatives, c       f 

About  the  powers  of  the  larger  assembly  or  Senate 
we  know  nothing  for  certain.  Probably  it  was  legis- 
lative while  the  Council  was  executive.     It  was  the 


fi 


I 


ESTATES   OF   THE  REALM  IN  CARTHAGE.      I05 

Congress   or  Parliament,  while  the  Council  was  the 
Ministry  or  Cabinet. 

Finally,  there  was  a  general  assembly  of  the  people. 
About  this,  too,  we  know  very  little.  We  may  guess 
that  its  power  was  limited  to  approving  or  rejecting 
measures  that  were  brought  before  it,  all  such 
measures  being  first  considered  in  the  Senate.  In  the 
same  way  the  people  had  the  right  of  approving  or 
disapproving  of  appointments  to  offices.  Aristotle 
evidently  thought  that  they  were  in  much  the  same 
position  as  the  people  at  Sparta  ;  and  of  the  people 
at  Sparta  we  know  that  they  had  not  much  to  do 
with  the  government  of  the  country. 

These  were  the  actual  "  estates  of  the  realm "  in 
Carthage — the  Kings  or  Suffetes,  the  Senate  with  its 
two  chambers,  so  to  speak,  and  the  Popular  Assembly. 
It  remains  to  ask,  ''  Was  there  a  nobility  ?  "  Probably 
there  was,  and  probably  it  was  something  like  that 
which  exists  in  England.  There  were,  indeed,  no 
inherited  titles,  but  still  the  same  families  remained 
powerful  in  the  State.  Probably  they  remained 
powerful  as  long  as  they  remained  rich.  There  was 
no  bar  of  birth  that  prevented  any  one  from  be- 
coming a  member  of  this  nobility.  Ability  and 
wealth,  perhaps  either  of  these  in  a  very  marked 
degree,  would  pass  any  one  into  it. 

Aristotle  says  that  the  offices  of  State  were  unpaid. 
This  does  not  of  necessit>'  imply  that  these  were  not 
lucrative.  They  would  bring  patronage  and  oppor- 
tunities of  making  money.  He  also  says  that  the 
hiirhest  offices— and  he  names  those  of  King  and 
General — were  put  up  for  sale.     Perhaps  he  means 


io6 


THE    .^iin\i 


OF    CARTHAGE. 


that  th 


(•\-     \V( 


Tc  c )l)taini '< 


I   1)\'  1)1 


lh< >ii< 


h   tl 


U^     IS 


no 


t   the   iiatura 


1    i 


r  ii 


rcliitu'n   <'l    hi--  u*>i'*i> 


As  1 


ic 


sa\'s 


iftcrw'.Mi 


-,1-  tliat  ciir  "f  the  .it)U>cs  (• 


giiiian  i uu-LrLu 


>n  \va- 


tliat  several 


f  the  Carlha- 
held 


were 


\)V  one  man,  we  iiia\-  Mii^^r-^e 


that  th.'U'.!;h  nominallv 


nil  pan 
o:"  |:)r(> 


I.  tl 


1C\'  cou 


1(1  I 


)( 


oil  en  were.  ni;i 


» ii 


tit.     l*rt»lKil)ly  the 


to  tlie  corruption  at 


i« 


n  •{  •( 


]  of  inonev,  u 


a-i 
Incl 


-ouree 


due 


1  ;ue  sure 


to 


(lf\'t •ln|)e(i 


S(,  » 


(JIU'I        l-'l        niLV 


r   111 


;l    Wf.i 


tin-  Stale. 


R..nie,  when   llu-  virtue  and  lutru^UMn^  ^u    i. 
1     fell    i!itr,    ihe    It 


.  ^  V  1 1  >  / 


ens 


tl 


decae 

Ciirtls 

under  tlie  (l*Mnniaiioi 

One  of  the  |)oinl>or  the  r 


f   ;i    de>p»»lH:    riucr 


1< 


ir 


1  iji 


:n 


( > 


fell 


.  L     I  i. 


1  !i\'  (111 /ens. 


e^ 


(■nU.M.LIK« '    U 


hieh  Ari-totlc 


sees 


betw 


cen 


(art! 


l.r- 


.ui* 


t.ii' 


I   A.i->  llie  pracliee  o 


f 


haviiii;  *^ «.nuiion 
tively  small    St.itc 
livin*^   at 


Meals.      But  Sparta  wa.  a  coinpara- 


11 


u: 


i<  lu.i! 


mnnber   ot    citi/ens 


the  ca|)!lal,  wl^eii    we 


]A\  e    ^ 


( 'di;  :u;( 


1    th 


ose 


w 


were  unt 


were    therefore 
could   not   have    uiu 


ler  o:   al)ove   the   irnlitar)-  a-e,  an 
1    from    tlu:    ("ommon 


vr-nse( 


1   wl 
Meal: 


lO 


I,  It 


1..,! 


thaue,on  the 


i  > 


I  her  liand,  wa^  one  oi   L 


tl 


1 1' 


V  Mivaiu 


1.       C  ar- 


,t  p'  )\ni 


\nlV 


Clt!' 


() 


f  the  aneieiU  w<.i 


Id.     Wlieri  it  ua^  taken 


l)\-  tl 


le 


R 


oniiUi>, 


\ui\: 


Mrr  it  liad  l)e-un 


;t  e<inlamec 


I 


seven 


th 


i'^e 


luuulred   ihiai'-.iii 


ere   citi/ens   vvi ' 


I    inlialiitant 


11 


*  )\ 


V  main'  *> 


f 


\V 


eaimot    i-^'' 


1   i  V„  V     I 


Uie 


I 


in' 


tl 


1  e 


number  mu^i  Ma\  c 


been  l- 


of  CommeHi 


MeaK.      rr-!Ml)ly  the 


idmil  ot  a  >\  muuI 
,f   were   limited    to 


the  rulini^  cla 


A 


t\  1 1  -•-  L ' 


.  1  u  '  ,  1 


];<  (A   them   as 


l)ein 


«  r 


held    bv   the   '*  club 


(  )!' 


Ci  mi  p.u  li' ''• 


says  tiuite  a; 
sent  an  cmiss 


■'ree 


with  this.      Uanni 


W'liat    Livy 
iKil,  ihen  in  cxile, 


;uv  te»  stir  up  tne  war-j 


til 


irt\'  a 


I   t a  I 


Ih, 


me 


VOTIVE   bll.l  1 


lA.Nl 


JUSTICE  AND   RELIGION. 


109 


to  action.  His  coming  and  the  message  which  he 
brought,  was,  we  read,  "  debated  first  in  societies  and 
banquets,  and  afterwards  in  the  Senate."  And  we 
find  it  stated  by  another  historian  that  the  Cartha- 
L^Muians  transacted  their  State  affairs  by  night,  and 
in  the  evening  and  at  night-time  held  their  meetings 
and  societies.  Perhaps  we  may  say  that  modern 
poHtics  furnish  an  illustration  in  the  "Caucus,"  a 
meeting  of  influential  persons  by  which  the  action  of 
the  party  is  determined. 

Justice  seems  to  have  been  administered,  not  by  a 
general  assembly  of  the  people,  as  at  Athens,  but  by 
special  Courts.  We  know  the  name  of  one  of  these, 
"  The  Hundred  and  Four."  ^  Possibly  this  may  have 
been  the  title  of  the  whole  judicial  body,  and  that  this 
was  divided  into  various  Courts  for  the  trial  of  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  cases. 

The  Religion  of  Carthage  was  naturally  in  the  main 
that  of  the  great  city  from  which  it  was  founded.  The 
supreme  Deity  was  Baal  Hammon,  or  Moloch.  Dr. 
Davis — from  whose  excavations  among  the  ruins  of 
Carthage  much  has,  of  course,  been  learnt — tells  us 
that  he  did  not  find  a  single  votive  tablet  in  which  the 
name  of  this  god  did  not  appear.  He  was  worshipped 
with  the  horrible  human  sacrifices  of  which  we  hear 
from  time  to  time  in  Carthaginian  history.^     These 

'  Not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Council  of  the  Hundred. 

'  When  Carthage  was  besieged  by  Agathocles,  a  sacrifice  of  two 
hundred  children  belonging  to  the  first  families  in  the  country  was 
made  to  Moloch  ;  and  three  hundred  men  also  voluntarily  devoted 
themselves  in  the  same  way.  \\'e  hear  of  these  sacrifices  as  prevailing 
among  the  Canaanite,  i.e".  Phaniician,  tribes  whom  the  Israelites  drove 
out  of  Palestine ;  and  special  care  was  taken  to  forbid  this  particular 


no 


THE    STORY   OF   CARTHAGE, 


drcndful   i)ra(:tii  !   the  Greeks  t«>  identify  him 

witli  t 'liruiid.  or  Saturn,  \\  li  .  oun  nu'thology, 

vva.  ^aifl  tt>  havf  .!.•   ..n,,.l  hj^  ,)\\ii  thildrtii. 

Next  in  lioiioiir  ic  ^l         '  Melcart,  the  tutelary 

deity  of  Cartlia-  inotlicr-cit}-,  'r>'rc 


A  sir  I  F    iv>   rwiT. 


To    the    Greeks    he    was    known    as   Hercules.       Hi 


kind  of  rite.     ^  i.i  in   I.ev    wi 

seed   pass  thrini'^h   tlv  lr<-  t"   M 
t!x*   practice   ijaiiu  ,     .        „  <nii    tl 

temple   to   Molocli  :  an-l    thr    rcfnrnifr 
Hinnom  that  no  man  m  . 
the  fire  to  Mok>ch.  '* 


IS 


■  TIk")'.!   "^iLitt   Til  it   lot   thy 

i hit  ion 

•  i '  ■  ,  ,1 

"(Icfilcil    the  Valley  of 
;  ;as.  daughter  pass  ihruuj^h 


(ri 


VOriVE   blELE   TO   TANIT    FROM    CARTHAGE. 


CARTHAGINIAN  DEITIES. 


113 


splendid  temple  at  Tyre  was  one  of  the  most  famous 
in  the  world.  Missions  with  gifts  and  offerings  seem 
to  have  been  regularly  sent  to  it  from  Carthage. 
\either  there  nor  elsewhere  does  the  god  seem  to 
have  been  represented  in  human  form.  Herodotus, 
who  describes  the  Tyrian  temple  as  an  eye-witness, 
.a\^  nothing  of  any  image,  but  describes,  among  the 
many  rich  offerings  with  which  it  was  adorned,  two 
})illars,  one  of  pure  gold,  the  other  of  emerald,  shining 
with  great  brilliancy  at  night' 


VOTIVE   STELES   FROM   CARTHAGE. 

A  sea-god,  whom  the  Greeks  naturally  identified 
with  their  own  Poseidon,  and  the  Romans  with  Nep- 
tune, was  worshipped  at  Carthage.  He  was  the  same 
I )robably  as  Dagon,  the  fish  -  god,  whom  we  know 
to  have  been  worshipped  in  the  cities  of  the  Philis- 
tines. Ashtaroth,  the  Greek  form  of  whose  name 
was  Astarte,  corresponded  to  Aphrodite  or  Venus. 
Her  Carthaginian  name  was  Tanit.  Of  another 
Carthaginian  deity,  known  to  the  Greeks  as  Triton, 

'  This  was  probably  of  green  glass,  which  had  long  before  been 
lunufactured  in  Egypt,  and  was  lighted  from  within. 


i 


114 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


we  cannot  recover  the  native  name.  As  the  Greek 
Triton  was  a  j^od  ( )f  the  sea,  possibly  this  was  only 
another  forin  of  1 >a.^  n.  V\'e  do  not  hear  of  any 
sci)aratc  order  of  priests  ;  but  we  find  kings  and 
generals  offering  sacrifice— sometimes,  as  in  the  case 
of  I fasdrubal  at  liimera,*  while  battle  was  actually 
going  on. 

*  See  p.  27. 


I 


III. 


THE  REVENUE  AND  TRADE  OF  CARTHAGE. 

Tin:  revenue  of  Carthage  came  from  various  sources 
hich  may  be  mentioned  in  order. 
1.  Tribute  from  subject  or  dependent  countries.  The 
i'hcenician  towns  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  both  those 
which  were  older  than  Carthage  and  those  which 
had    been    founded  from  it,  paid  tribute  in  money. 


w 


CARTHAGINIAN    COIN. 

Leptis,  for  instance,  in  the  rich  district  of  the  Lesser 
Svrtis,  is  said  to  have  paid  as  much  as  a  talent  per 
licm.^  The  tribes  of  the  interior  paid  their  tribute  m 
kind,  those  who  were  settled  and  employed  in  culti- 
vating  the  ground  furni.hmg  corn,  the  wandering 
tribes  such  articles  as  dates,  wild-beast  skins,  gold, 

I  This  would  amount  to  ^89,968  i$s.,  or  nearly  $450,000, 


ii6 


THE   SrORY   OF   ^ARTHAGE. 


precious  stones,  etc.  The  forcij^m  possessions  of  the 
empire  also  paid  in  kind.  Part  of  the  stores  which 
they  thus   furnished    was    laid    up    in    the    provinces 


CA R  I  H  \   .  I  N  I  AN   COI N    ( >  I -K*   1  R  T  M ) . 


themselves  for  the  use  of  the  army,  and  part  was  sent 
to  Carthage.  The  amount  of  tlu-se  contributions  is  not 
stated  anywhere;  but  it  seems  to  have  varied   with 


CARTHAGINIAN   COIN    (SILVER). 

the  needs  of  the  government,  and  sometimes  to  have 
amounted  to  as  much  as  a  half  of  the  whole  produce. 
2.  Customs  duties  are  mentioned  in  the  treaties  be- 
tween Carthage  and  Rome  ;  and  the  regulations  about 


CARTHAGINIAN  MINES. 


117 


them  are  precise.  In  the  treaties  with  the  Etrurians, 
of  which  we  hear  from  Aristotle,  we  learn  that  it  was 
provided  what  articles  might  and  what  might  not  be 
imported.  Hannibal,  when  in  power  at  Carthage 
after  the  end  of  the  Second  Punic  War,  introduced  a 
•I  tat  II  form  into  the  manarement  of  the  customs, 
which  we  learn  from  this  passage  to  have  been  levied 
on  goods  imported  both  l)v  land  and  by  sea;  and  is 
said,  by  putting  a  stop  to  dishonest  practices,  to  have 
iniproxeti  the  revenue  so  much,  that  it  was  no  longer 
nc  \x\  to  tax  individuals.     That  these  duties  were 

lu.iv\-,  we  ina\'  learn  from  the  fact  that  smuggling 
went  on  between  the  Greek  towns  in  the  district 
re )und  C>'rene  and  the  towns  dependent  on  Carthage. 
3.  Mines.  Carthage  possessed  mines  in  Spain  and 
Corsica.  The  richest  of  these  were  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  New  Carthage.  In  Polybius'  time  (204-122 
li.( .  ,  when  they  were  worked  by  the  Romans,  they 
produced  about  i!^2,ooo  per  day.  They  are  said  to 
have  been  discovered  by  a  certain  Aletes,  who  was 
suj>i)()sed  to  have  done  so  much  for  his  country  by 
this  discovery,  that  a  temple  was  dedicated  to  him  at 
New  Carthage.  We  must  not  suppose,  however,  that 
all  the  mines  (I)iodorus  savs  that  all  the  mines  known 
in  his  time  were  first  worked  by  the  Carthaginians) 
belonged  to  the  State.  Many  of  them  were  worked 
l)y  individual  citizens  to  their  great  profit.  The  power- 
ful Barca  family  is  said  to  have  derived  from  their 
mines  much  of  the  wealth  by  which  they  were  enabled 
to  become  so  powerful,  and  Hannibal  is  specially 
mentioned  as  receiving  a  large  income  from  mines. 
Probably  the  State  was  the  owner  of  some,  and  re- 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


ceivecl  a  ro>alty  ^)r  sum  proportionate  to  the  quan- 
tity  of  metal  raisedj  from  the  others. 

The  Commerce  of  Carthage  may  be  conveniently 
considered  under  its  two  great  branches— the  trade 
with  Africa,  and  the  trade  with  luirope. 

I.  The  trade  with  Africa.    Tliis  was  carried  on  with 
the  barbarous  tribes  « »f  tlie  inland  country  that  could 
be  reached    by  caravans,    and    of  the  sea-coast.     Of 
both  we  liear  something   from    I Icrodotiis,  the  writer 
who  furnislie^  ns  witli  most  of  our  knowledge  about 
these  parts  i>l   tlie  ancient  world.     His   story  about 
the  dealin-s  with  the  tribes  of  the  sea-coast  runs  thus, 
"There   is  a  certain  country  in    Africa   outside  the 
columns  of  Hercules.     When  the  Carthagini.ms  come 
hither,  they  unlade  their  goods  and  set  them  in  order 
by  the  side  of  the  sea.     This  done,  they  embark  on 
their  ships  again  and  make  <i  smoke.     And  the  people 
of  the  country,  seeing  the  smoke,  come  down  to  the 
sea,  and  put  gold  beside  the  goods  and  depart  to  a 
distance.     Then  the   Carthaginians  come  forth  from 
their  shii)s  and  look  ;  and  if  it  seem  to  them  that  the 
gold  is  of  equal  value  with  the  goods,  they  take  it  and 
depart  ;  but  if  it  ^.un  nut  eciual,  then  they  return  to 
their  shii>s  and  sit  still.     Then   the  barbarians  come 
and  add  other  gold  to  that  which  they  put  before, 
until  they  persuade  the  Carthaginians.     And  neither 
do  any  wrong  to  the  other  ;  for  the  one  touch  not 
the  gold  till  it  be  made  equal  in  value  to  the  goods, 
and  the  others  touch  not  the  goods  before  the  sellers 
have  received  the  gold;'  ^     The  Caravan  routes  are 

•  Heercn  quolo  horn  Captain  I  .ynu's  "  Narrative  "  a  curiously  similar 
accouEl.     "In   Soudan,  beyond  the  desert,  in  the  countries  abound- 


' 


TRADE. 


119 


described  in  a  very  interesting  passage.  The  starting- 
point  is  Thebes  in  Upper  Egypt,  where  Herodotus 
probably  got  his  information  ;  and  the  route,  in  which 
the  static )ns — always  places  where  water  can  be  found 
— are  given  with  much  detail,  extend  to  the  Straits  of 
Gibraltar  in  the  west,  and  Fezzan,  and  probably  still 
more  inland  places,  in  the  south. 

The  goods  with  which  the  Carthaginian  merchants 
traded  with  the  African  tribes  were  doubtless  such  as 
those  which  civilized  nations  have  alwaws  used  in  their 
dealings  with  savages.  Cheap  finery,  gaudily  coloured 
cloths,  and  arms  of  inferior  quality,  would  probably  be 
their  staple.  Salt,  too,  would  be  an  important  article. 
Many  of  the  inland  tribes  can  only  get  this  necessary 
of  life  by  importation,  and  the  Carthaginians  would 
doubtless  find  it  worth  their  while  to  bring  it,  not 
necessarily  from  the  sea,  but  from  places  on  the  route 
where,  according  to  Herodotus,  it  could  be  found  in 
large  quantities. 

The  articles  which  they  would  receive  in  exchange 
for  their  goods  are  easily  enumerated.  In  the  first 
[)lace  comes,  as  we  have  seen,  gold.  Carthage  seems 
to  have  had  always  at  hand  an  abundant  supply  of 
the  precious  metal  for  use,  whether  as  money  or  as 
plate.  Next  to  gold  would  come  slaves.  Even  then 
the  negro  race  was  the  victim  of  the  cruel  system 
which  has  not  yet  quite  been  rooted  out  of  the  world, 

ing  in  gold,  there  dwells  an  invisible  nation,  who  are  said  to  trade  only 
by  night.  Those  who  come  to  traflBc  for  their  gold,  lay  their  merchan- 
dise ill  heaps  and  retire.  In  the  morning  they  find  a  certain  quantity 
of  gold-dust  placed  against  every  heap,  which  if  they  think  sufficient, 
they  leave  the  goods  ;  if  not,  they  let  both  remain  until  more  of  the 
precious  ore  is  added." 


120 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


though  no  Christian  nation,  at  least  ostcnsibK',  prac- 
tisesit.  Ihc  ancients,  inileed,  had  other  slaves 
besides  negroes.  It  was  a  horrible  feature  of  the 
slavery  of  these  times  that,  thr< .u-h  the  practice  of 
selling,  f( )r  private  or  public  gain,  i)risoners  of  unr  and 
the  inhabitants  of  captured  toun^  men  and  women  of 
every  race  were  reduced  to  liondage,  and  thus  the 
slave  might  be  as  u  ell  born  and  as  well  educated  as 
his  master. »  But  these  slaves  were  mu'c  to  be  discon- 
tented, and  very  likel}-,  tli.  re,  to  be  dangerous,  and 
the  m< ^rc  gentle  and  d' ^'i'*^  negro  soon  came  to  be 
pri/.ed.  I^'ashion.  too,  favt »ured  tlie  tiuaiiit  .ippccUcUicc 
of  the  race,  so  curiously  contrasted  with  the  fair  com- 
I>lexion  and  chiselled  tcjitures  of  the  Greek.  Thus  in 
Mcnander  .34^  291  Ik<  .  as  hci<  re|)rescntcd  to  us  by 
Terence,  we  find  a  soldier  sa> mg  to  his  lad\'-love, 
"  Did  \  <»l:  c\cr  fuid  my  good  will  to  )'ou  halt  ?  When 
you  sai'l  v< m  wanted  a  handmaid  from  Ethiopia,  did 
not    I    guc    up  all    my  business,    and    find    one   for 

you  ?  " 

Ivory  must  ha\  e  been  another  article  of  Cartha- 
ginian trade,  thon-di  we  hear  little  about  it.  -The 
Greeks  used  it  c  xUii>uvl\'  in  art,  making  some  of 
their  most  magnificent  st.it lus  parti}-  of  it  and  partly 
of  gold  ;=^  and  it  seems  to  lia\e  been  employed  in  early 

I  ( )nt'  Latin  writer  draws  a  ili>tinclit)n  between  slaves  that  were 
**  learned  "  and  that  'Mind  a  smattering  of  learnint;.  All  the  early 
schooliuaNters  at  Komc,  ilin.»t  willioul  exception,  had  been  slavt^. 
The  elder  (ato  made  a  profit  of  laking  in  noble  K<nrian  boy>  to  be 
taught  l»y  an  educated  slavf  .»!  hi'-  ov\n. 

=»  The  great  ^tatlu■^  r.f  I'lddias,  vi/.,  ..f  Zeus  at  Olympia,  of  Here  at 
ArgoN,  and  of  Atliene  at   Aihen-,  were    n  :   lliese  two  materials, 

and  therefore  calleii  chryselephantine. 


IVORY  AND   PRECIOUS   STONES, 


121 


V 


I 


times  at  Rome  for  the  chairs  of  state  used  by  the 
higher  magistrates.  We  do  not  precisely  know  where 
this  ivory  came  from  first.  Virgil  speaks  of  the  sub- 
stance as  coming  from  India,  and  the  elder  Pliny 
says  that  the  luxury  of  his  times  had  exhausted  all  the 
sources  of  supply  except  those  of  the  farthest  East. 
We  may  be  certain,  however,  that  in  the  flourishing 
days  of  Carthage  her  traders  dealt  largely  in  this 
article,  which  indeed  is  found  of  the  largest  size  and 
finest  quality  in  Africa.     The  elephant  is  still  found 


VOTIVE  STELE   FROM   CARTHAGE. 

over  the  whole  of  that  continent  south  of  the  Sahara, 
except  where  it  has  been  driven  away  by  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  man.  The  Carthaginians  had  domesti- 
cated it,  a  thing  which  has  never  since  been  done  by 
any  African  race. 

Precious  stones  seem  to  have  been  another  article 
which  the  savages  gave  in  exchange  for  the  goods  they 
coveted.  The  carbuncle,  in  particular,  came  in  such 
abundance  from  Carthage  into  the  markets  of  Europe 
that  it  was  called  the  "  Carthaginian  Stone."    Perhaps 


122 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


we  may  add  daUs  to  the  list  of  articles  obtained  from 
the  interior. 

The  European  trade  dealt,  of  course,  partly  with 
the  thin*^s  already  mentit)ncd,  and  partly  with  other 
articles  fur  which  the  Carthaginian  merchants  acted 
as  carriers,  so  to  speak,  from  one  part  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean to  another.  Lipara,  and  the  other  volcanic 
islands  near  the  southern  extremity  of  Italy,  pro- 
duced resin  ;  Agrigentum,  and  possibly  other  cities  of 
Sicily,  traded  in  suli)hur  brought  down  from  the 
region  of  Etna  ;  wine  \v«is  })r()duced  in  many  of  the 
Mediterranean  countries.  \\  ax  and  honey  were  the 
staple  goods  of  Corsica.  Corsican  slaves,  too,  were 
highly  valuctl.  The  iron  of  Elba,  the  fruit  and  the 
cattle  of  the  Balearic  islands,  and,  to  go  further,  the 
tin  and  copper  of  Britain,  and  even  amber  from 
the  Baltic,  were  articles  of  Carthaginian  commerce. 
Trade  was  carried  on  not  only  with  the  dwellers  on 
the  coast,  but  with  inland  tribes.  Thus  goods  were 
transported  across  Spain  to  the  interior  of  Gaul,  the 
jealousy  of  Massilia  (Marseilles)  not  permitting  the 
Carthaginians  to  have  any  trading  stations  on  the 
southern  coast  of  that  country. 

While  we  are  writing  of  trade,  we  must  not  omit  to 
mention  a  curious  statement  about  what  has  been 
called  the  "  leather  money  '  of  Carthage.  The  work 
f.om  which  it  comes  bears  the  name  of  /Eschines,  a 
disciple  of  Socrates.  It  is  certainly  not  of  his  time, 
but  it  is  probably  ancient.  "  The  Carthaginians,'" 
says  this  author,  w  hoever  he  may  have  been, "  make 
use  of  the  follow'ng  kind  of  money :  in  a  small  piece 
of  leather  a  substance  is  wrapped  of  the  size  of  a 


ART  AND  LITERATURE. 


123 


piece  of  four  drachmae  (about  3s.) ; 
but  what  this  substance  is  no  one 
knows  except  the  maker.  After 
this  it  is  sealed  and  issued  for 
circulation  ;  and  he  who  possesses 
the  most  of  this  is  regarded  as 
having  the  most  money,  and  as 
hcinir  the  wealthiest  man.  But 
if  any  one  among  us  had  ever 
so  much,  he  would  be  no  richer 
than  if  he  possessed  a  quantit)- 
of  pebbles."  This  unknown  sub- 
stance was  probably  an  alloy  of 
metal,  of  which  the  ingredients 
were  a  State  secret ;  and  the  seal 
was  a  State  mark.  We  have,  in 
fact,  here  a  kind  of  clumsy  bank- 
note. 

Of  Carthaginian  art  and  litera- 
ture there  is  little  to  be  said. 
The  genius  of  the  Phoenicians  did 
not  lead  them  to  distinguish  them- 
selves in  either  way.  As  for  art, 
whatever  grace  is  to  be  found  in 
the  scanty  remains  that  are  left 
to  us  of  Carthaginian  civilization, 
is  clearly  due  to  Greek  influence. 
The  coins,  for  instance,  that  are 
figured  on  pp.  115,  116,  are  evi- 
dently the  work  of  Greek  artists. 
About  Carthaginian  literature  we 
cannot  speak  so  positively.  That 
there  were   libraries   in   the  city 


''A 


>.4) ! 


N'  'i 


WRITlNG-CAbE. 


$ 


i2i» 


THE   STORY   OF   CARTHAGE, 


when  it  was  taken  by  the  Romans,  we  know  for 
certain,  as  uc  also  know  that  the  conquerors  were 
not  sufficiently  aware  of  their  value  to  keep  them 
for  themselves,  but  allowed  them  to  be  dispersed 
among  the  African  princes.  Hut  whether  these  libra- 
ries contained  a  native  Carthaginian  literature,  or 
were  furnished  with  the  productK >n  of  Greek  ^,^enius, 
we  do  not  know.  0(  one  Cartha^^nnian  work,  in- 
deed, we  know  somethmg.  We  have  its  subject, 
the  name  of  its  author,  and,  it  may  also  be  said,  its 
opening   sentence.      It    was   a    book  on   agriculture, 


VOIIVK   blEl.K   (HiJLl). 

written  by  one  Mago,  and  it  began,  it  is  said,  with 
the  remark  that  he  who  would  make  his  farm 
prosper  should  sell  his  town-house.  So  high  a 
reputation  had  it  obtained,  that  uhen  Carthage  was 
taken,  the  Roman  Senate  appointed  a  committee  to 
look  after  its  translation  into  Latin.  It  was  after- 
wards translated  into  Greek.  Roman  writers  made 
much  use  of  it,  and  Cicero  speaks  of  it  as  the  standard 
work  on  its  subject 

Of  the  domestic  life  of  the  Carthaginians  we  know 
almost  nothing.     Where   there  is  great  wealth  there 


i 


WEALTH  AND  LUXURY. 


125 


is  sure  to  be  great  luxury.  Of  this  we  get,  indeed, 
a  few  hints  from  the  historians.  We  have  seen, 
for  instance,  how,  when  one  of  the  Carthaginian 
generals  were  pressed  for  arrears  of  pay  by  his  mer- 
cenaries, he  was  able  to  give  them  security  in  the 
rich  gold  and  silver  drinking-cups  which  belonged  to 
the  Carthaginians  on  his  staff.  And  Athena^us,  a  great 
c( )1  lector  of  gossip  on  all  such  matters,  tells  us  that 
Diunysius  sold  a  splendid  robe  to  a  Carthaginian 
millionaire  for  a  hundred  and  twenty  talents — the 
almost  incredible  sum  of  nearly  thirty  thousand 
pounds.  And  it  seems  to  have  been  also  true  that  in 
Carthage,  as  elsewhere,  "where  wealth  accumulates 
men  decay."  Political  and  military  talent  she  could 
always  ajmmand,  but  she  trusted  more  and  more  to 
her  mercenaries,  to  those  "  silver  spears  "  which  are 
sure,  sooner  or  later,  to  break  in  the  day  of  need. 


PARI'  IV. 


CARTHAGE   AND   ROME. 


For  the  First  and  Second  Punic  Wars  our  chief  authorities 
»re  Polybius  and  Livy.  The  first  was  a  (ireek,  and  a  great 
friend  of  the  younger  Scipio,  the  conquert.r  of  Carthage.  lie 
was  present  at  thr  cajiture  of  that  city,  but  unfortunately  the 
part  of  his  work  which  relates  that  event,  anti  the  history  of 
the  Third  Funic  W'.ir  j^rrurallv.  i>  I<»>t.  For  the  First  I'uiiic 
War,  which  is  the  chief  suhjcct  of  the  introductory  chapters 
of  his  work,  and  for  the  i,  he  is' our  liest  authority,  so 

far  as   he  Here,    aij.iui,    unfortunately,  much    is  lost  ; 

indeed,  we  aavc  no  cotiiplcte  hook  after  the  fifth,  and  this 
takes  us  a  little  farther  than  the  h.ittlc  "f  ( 'anii  »  .  Consider- 
able extracts  have,  however,  been  [ireservcd  of  the  iost  books, 
anions  them  one  containing  a  description  of  the  battle  of 
Zama.  I'olybius  vv.is  an  a«l(iural)Ie  historian,  jiainstaking  and 
just  in  the  highest  degree. 

Livy  (Fit Us  Fivius)  lived  in  the  last  days  of  the  Roman 
Rfi)uhlic  ind  the  first  of  the  Finpire,  since  he  was  Ijorn  B.C. 
59,  the  very  time  of  the  first  Trunnvirate,  and  died  in  the 
fourth  year  of  Tiberius,  lie  wrote  a  liistory  of  Rome  in  one 
hundred  and  forty-two  iMx.ks,  of  which  thirty-five  only  sur- 
vive. Haj.pily  the  ten  Ixtoks,  twenty-one  to  thirty,  which 
give  a  detailed  account  of  the  Second  I'unic  War  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end,  have  been  ( .reserved,  and  ejiitomes 
of  the  lost  Ixioks  exist,  from  which  we  get  some  valuable 
information    about    the     F  md   Third    wars.      Livy  is    a 

great    writer  ;    somr  ilcnt    judges    have    even    said    that 

his  style  is  the  very  ocst  to  he  found  among  prose  writers 
ancient  or  modern.  It  is  cert.iinly  full  of  vigour  arul  l)eauty  ; 
but  Livy  IS  not  a  great  fusttjrian.  He  Mas  very  careless, 
never  taking  the  puns,  so  far  as  we  can  le.irn,  to  visit  the 
scenes  of  the  events  which  he  describes,  though  they  must 
often  have  been  witliin  liis  reach,  or  attempting  to  reali/x- 
them  to  himself.  For  the  Third  i'unic  War  our  chief  authority 
is  Appian,  a  native  of  Alexandria,  who  wrote  there,  in  Creek, 
a  Roman  history,  in  which  he  treated  the  atfairs  of  every 
country  separately. 


I 


' 


PROViMCIAE 

CARTHACINIENSIBUS 

diRm*fA  r 


.■«* 


v 


V 


> 


t'tn-fj 


iYRNUS 
VU.CORSICA 


rV 


/• 


LlGUSTfCUS 
SINUS 

TYRRHBNUM 
vuL  INFERNVM 
MARE 


]ACUNTUM 


OMA 


.0-' 


1  ■       t    *  _  CA^  rUL-'O  IaCHALL'J 


SARDO        ^^^  . 

I  A  <^^o'-^%  j^i 

PA  NORM 
'CAR  Alts  (c,.-,.     ir 

ULVBAEUM 

ACRAGAS       cela 


OCR/ 


ONiUM 
MARE 


\MZSSANA 


^^-"^.^        \5IC/L/A 


fvl 


>JCC 


VNOVA 

"Carthago  ^  ^ 


_  aai'clos 

•HACO  ^^^'^" 


WCAPOLIS 


f'^- -        t^  .^CARTHAGO    ^  I,      ^yO  -^', .'         "  >- ,       ^  ^  >,  ^„  .,.. 

.  e  ^  /  <  ^^.^fkf!^  Af  A^S  S;  r  L  /  /  r^  .:a-  . .  ^  <^  ^  ]^f '  ^- 


CYRENL 


»^         C     A     E      T     U     L     I 


MACHLYE5        C/.VDaX/AE^;vcA£ 


THABACTIS        '  <1^ 


\ 


CHAR /I 


PSYLL/ 


THE  WAR    IN    SICII.V    AND   ON   THE  SEA. 


We  have  heard  more  than  once  of  Campanians 
amoni^  the  mercenaries  who  were  accustomed  to  flight 
both  for  Greece  and  for  Cartha<^e  in  the  Sicih"an  wars. 
They  seem  to  have  been  i)articuhirly  unscrupulous, 
for  they  would  chan*^e  '-ides  when  chan<^ing  sides 
seemed  likely  to  give  them  better  pay  or  better 
jHospccts  of  victor)'.  And  this  habit  of  theirs  a^^.ees 
with  the  bad  account  we  get  of  them  in  other  ways. 
These  Camp.mians  let  out  their  swords  for  hire,  not 
so  much  because  tlie\'  were  j)oor  (as  did  the  Arca- 
dians in  ancient  times,  and  the  Swiss  and  Scotch  in 
modern  Kurope),  as  because  they  Uked  the  life  of  a 
soldier  of  fortune,  lliey  were  the  youth  of  a  disso- 
lute people/  and,  not  able  to  find  the  career  they 
lik'ed  at  home,  where  they  would  have  had  to  deal  with 
the  Romans,  they  sought  it  abroad,  and,  as  w^  have 
seen,  e>[)ecially  in  Sicil\'.  We  shall  not  be  surprised, 
therefore,  to  find  some  of  these  Campanians  behaving 
in  a  most  cruel  and  unscrupulous  way  to  one  of  the 
Greek  cities.     After  the  death   of  Agathocles,  who, 

*  Capua,  the  chief  city  of  Campania,  had  a  very  bad  reputation  in 
this  way. 


J  30 


THE    STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


t\T;int  as  he  was,  was  a  man  of  cncri^v,  affairs  in 
Sicily    had   fallen    into    a    state    (if  i fusion. 

Amonj^^  other  can  f  trouble  was  a  o>r/^s  <»f  Carn- 

paniaii  mercenaries,  who  had  been  in  the  servn'ce  of 
the  tyrant,  and  who,  iifter  liis  death,  asserted  their 
!nde])cn(le!  lik!  set  ui)  in   the  trade  of  brij^^ands. 

TliC}'  \   th( ■  cit\'  of  Mcs^ana,  slew  or  drove  out 

the  citi/ens,  and  divided  amon^  themsc!v'(->  ^  .>  ivthinir 
that  they  p  d.      IV>r  a  time  the  Mamertines,  or 

"Servants  ot  Aiars"  '  for  tliis  was  the  name  that  the 
rob  be  v  s  h  ad  a  s  s  u  m  ed ) ,  | » lo  s  ]  >  c  r  e  d  g  re  a  1 1  \  • ,  s  |  >  i-  c  a  d  i  n  <^ 
their  |)ower  over  the  ncii^hbourirv  'xjrtion  of  the 
island.  Then  came  a  check.  S\racuse  had  aiiain 
fallen  intt >  the  hands  of  an  able  ruler,  one  Hiero,  of 
whom  uc  shall  often  licar  aL^ain.  I  fiero  reduced  the 
Mamertines  to  i^reat  >traits,  and  the\'  looked  about  in 
despair  for  some  ( )ne  w  ho  could  help  them. 

There  were  two  j)aities  amoni^  them,  one  favouring 
Carthage,  the  other  Rome  At  first  the  latter  jire- 
vailed.  An  cml)assv  ua^  sent,  offerino-  submission 
and  bei(j^ini^  for  hel|).  The  reijucst  peri)le\ed  the 
Romans  not  a  little.  It  wa-.  (luite  a  new  thing  for 
them  to  look  bevond  tlu-  limits  of  Itah*.  There  they 
were  now  su|)reinc  ;  but  the}'  dreatled  undertaking 
conquests  outside  it.   And  t*  nt  this  request  would 

of  course  embroil  them  u  ith  Cartliaiie.  On  the  other 
hand,  Carthage  would  become  a  dangerous  enemy  if 
it  were  allowed  to  possess  itself  of  Mosana.  It 
would  onl}'  have  to  conquer  S\'racuse  to  make  itself 
master  of  Sicily.  The  Senate  debated  the  question 
more    than    once    without  coming   to   any   decision. 

*  **  Mauicrb  '■  li  an  Iialian  form  of  "  Mars." 


THE   ROMAXS   GAi::  MESS  AN  A. 


131 


R(  sides  their  fear  of  a  new  enterprise,  they  had,  we 
ma\'  hope,  some  scruple  about  taking  to  themselves 
such  ver\'  discreditable  allies.  From  the  Senate  the 
matter  was  referred  to  the  people,  and  the  people  felt 
neitlier  the  fear  nor  the  scruple,  but  resolved  that  help 
should  be  sent,  and  that  the  Mamertines  should  be 
received  as  allies. 

Meanwhile  the  other  party  at  Messana  had  been 
bus\'.  They  api)licd  for  help  to  Carthage  ;  and  Car- 
thage at  once  sent  it.  A  peace  was  made  with  Hiero, 
who  was  besieging  the  city.  A  fleet  sailed  into  the 
harbour,  and  a  body  of  troops  under  Hanno  occu- 
pittl  the  citadel.  When  the  Romans,  who  were  under 
the  command  of  Ai)pius  Claudius,  one  of  the  Consuls 
of  the  \ear,  arri\'ed,  they  found  themselves  anticipated. 
Unfortimately  for  Carthage,  both  the  officers  in  charge 
of  the  fleet  and  Hanno  \'  ere  wanting  in  foresight  or 
resolution.  The  former  was  seized  at  a  meeting  of 
the  citizens  to  which  he.  had  gone  in  the  hope  of 
keeping  the  peace  ;  the  tatter  consented  to  give  up 
the  citadel  if  he  were  pr-mitted  to  withdraw  with 
his  garrison.  Then  the  Romans  became  masters 
of  Messana  without  havii.g  to  strike  a  single  blow 
for  it. 

The  Carthaginians  were  not  disposed  to  accept 
this  state  of  things.  Hanno  th?\  crucified  as  having 
shown  in  his  conduct  neither  courage  nor  good  judg- 
ment. Then,  in  concert  with  Hiero  they  closely  in- 
vested the  city.  Claudius  attempted  t' »  make  terms  ; 
he  was  even  willing  to  depart,  if  the  Mamertines 
might  be  allowed  to  remain.  When  these  terms 
were  rejected  he  resolved  to  act.     He  marched  out  of 


132 


THE   STORY  Of  CARTHAGE. 


the  City  and  offered  battle  flicro  accepted  it,  but 
after  a  long  fight  was  driven  back  into  liis  camp.  The 
next  day  he  returned  to  Sv-racuse.  Appiiis  followed 
up  his  victory, attack in<(  and  routln;^^  the  Carthaginian 
army,  which  immcdiatel)-  raised  the  Mege  of  the  city. 
The  next  year  a  lar-(  r  army  was  sent  ;   lliero,  who 

had  thesaj^acity  to ,  ■  vvith  whom  the  victory  was  most 

likely  to  be,  subinutec 1  to  Rome,  becoming  one  of  its 
most  constant  and  useful  allies  Many  other  cities, 
both  Sicilian  and  Carthaginian,  followed  tliis  example. 
Carthage,  on  the  other  hand.  Iiuk  ased  her  forces  in 
the    island,    making      '  •ntum     the    base    of    her 

operations  and  the  place  in  which  licr  military  stores 
were  kei)t. 

The  next  yciir  the  Romans  besieged  Agrigentum, 
and  kept  the  garrison  closely  witln'n  the  walls.     After 
a  blockade  which  lasted  five  montlis,  Hannibal,  one  of 
the  Suffctes,  who   was   in    command,  found    himself 
sorely  pressed  by  ffimine,  and  sent  urgent  entreaties  to 
Carthage  for  help.  In  answer  to  these  requests,  a  con- 
siderable body  of  troops,  with  a  number  of  ele[)hants, 
was    sent    to   Sicily.     Hanno,   who  commandi -d   the 
Carthaginian  armv  in  the  field,  was  rendered  sui^erior 
in  force  to  the  Romans  by  this  reinforcement.     He 
cut    off  their   supplies    and  reduced   them    to   great 
straits.     Indeed,  but  for  the  help  of  Hiero  they  could 
not  have  held  out.     Hanno  now  thought  it  time  to 
attack    the  enemy.      He  sent   on  his  African  light- 
horse  in  advance,  with  orders  to  provoke  the  Roman 
cavalry  to  an  engagement,  and  by  retiring  before  them 
to  draw  them  within  reach  of  his  whole  army.     The 
Stratagem  succeeded,     The  Romans  sallied  furiously 


Capture  op  agrigentum. 


133 


from  their  camp,  drove  the  Africans  before  them,  and 
then,  finding  themselves  in  presence  of  Hanno'sarmy, 
were  themselves  driven  back. 

For  two  months  the  two  armies  lay  quiet,  with  a 
^I)ace  of  about  a  mile  between  them.     Meanwhile  the 
famine  in  the  city  grew  worse,  and   Hannibal,  by  fire 
signals  from  the  city  (for  the  Carthaginians  seem  to 
have  had  some  system  of  telegraphing),  and  by  mes- 
>enger>,    made    his   colleague   aware    that   he   could 
hold  out  no  longer.     The  Romans  were  scarcely  less 
in  need,  so  that  both  parties  were  eager  to  fight.   The 
battle  that  followed  was  long  and  obstinate.     At  last 
the  Carthaginian  mercenaries,  who  composed  the  front 
line,  gave  way,  fell  back  upon  the  elephants  behind 
them,  and  threw  the  whole  army  into  disorder.     Only 
a  small   part  of  the  troops  escaped.     But  Hannibal 
with  the  garrison  of  Agrigentum  was  more  fortunate. 
Seeing  that  the   Romans,  rejoicing  in   their  victory, 
were  guarding  their  lines  very  carelessly,  he  made  his 
way  through  undiscovered    The  next  day  the  Romans 
marched   into  Agrigentum,  where  they  found  abun- 
dance of  spoil  and  many  prisoners  of  war. 

After  this  success  the  Romans  began  to  think  that 
then  it  was  within  their  power  to  make  themselves 
masters  of  the  island.  But  the  great  obstacle  was 
that  Carthage  was  still  mistress  of  the  sea,  and  that 
even  their  own  coasts  were  not  safe  from  the  ravages 
of  her  fleet.  If  their  hope  was  to  be  fulfilled  they 
must  have  a  fleet  of  their  own.  Ships  of  course  they 
had,  for  the  treaties  *'  with  Carthage,  made  hundreds 
of  years  before,  had  set  limits  beyond  which  they 

•  See  pp.  14- 16. 


il 


^34 


THE   STQRY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


should  not  t:*)  ;  {)ONsif)|y  thc\'  had  ships  of  war  ;  but 
they  had  nothiii^i;  which  thev  could  match  a^^ainst  the 
^^reat  fivc-bankcd   .  the  "n^^]]^v.      IA»rtunatcly 

one  of  these  came  into  their  ij.  »^^.  > .,. -n,  ^l landed  by  a 
storin  or  in  an  attack  made  u[>(H1  their  transi)()i-ts. 
This  the)'  used  as  a  model  fur  their  shipljuilders.  In 
the  course  of  a  (vw  \\\ -eks,  a  luiiidred  five  banked  and 
twenty  tliree  Ijankeil  vessels  were  Iniilt  ^^  <n  riccn  wood. 
it  is  said,  and  not  Hkely  to  last,  but  still  sutlicicnt  for 
their  pur|i<  .^t 

The  fu->t  .ittcmi>t  of  the  new  force  was  not  fortu- 
nate.    A  sciuadroii  -.i    .^  ,,  iiteen  shi|)s  was    taken  at 
Lipara,  witli  oiu -of  t lie  consuls,  who  was  in  command. 
But  the  C  arthat^inians  soon   found  that  the  Romans 
were  quite  a>   formidable  by  sea  a<  Tn-  land.     Their 
admiral,  llainiibak  u  ho  was  reconuoiirin^^T  with  fifty 
ships,  fell  in  uncxi)ectedly  with  a  superior  force  of  the 
Romans,  lost  the  ^rreater  i)art  of  his  fieet,  and  barely 
escai)ed  himself    Still,  the  i^reater  experience  of  their 
seamen  would  have  *^i\en  them  the  advantage  but  for 
the  device  b\-  u  liicli  their  enemies  contrived  to  make 
a  sea-fight  ver>'  nuicli  like  a  fight  i.n  diy  land.    ICvery 
Roman  ship  uds  fillcfl  with  a  bearding  ap{)aratus.     It 
was  like  a  gang\va\-.  ci^iiieen  ieet  long  and  four  feet 
broad,  and  \v,is  attaclied  to  a  i)ilLir  of  wood  set  up  by 
the   bowsprit,  from    which   it  was  dn )p[)cd  when  the 
two  ships  came  in  contact.       The  further   end    was 
furnished  w  ith  a  sharpened   bar  of   iron,  which    was 
driven  b\'  tlie  force  of  tlie  fall  into  the  enemv's  deck 
and  lield  it  fast.     If  the  ships  were  laid  broadside  to 
broadside,  the  boarders  jumped  from  all  part-,  of  their 
own   ship  on   to  that  of  the  enemy  ;    if  prow   only 


DUILIAN   COLUMN. 


1 1 


BATTLE   OF  MYL^E, 


T^n 


touched    prow,  they   went   two  and    two   along   the 


^anL^wav. 


The   new  apparatus    was  soon    brought    into   use. 
Hannibal    (the  same    commander  who    had   escaped 
from    Agrigentum)   encountered   the   Roman   Consul 
Duilius,  and  despising  his  enemy,  bore  down  upon  him 
without  taking  the  trouble  to  form  his  fleet  in  order. 
The    front    ships,    as    soon    as    they    came    near   the 
Romans,  were   grappled   by  the   new  machines,  and 
the  boarding  i)arties  poured  in  from  the   Roman   ves- 
sels.    The  Carthaginians  were  taken  by  surprise  and 
(»ver[)owered,  and  lost  all  the  thirty  ships  that  com- 
posed the  van.  The  rest  of  the  fleet  fared  little  better. 
Whenever  they  tried  to  approach,  the  grappling-irons 
hung  over  them.   In  the  end  they  fled  with  the  loss  of 
fifty  more  ships  ;  Hannibal  escaping  in  an  open  boat. 
This  battle  of  My  he  was  one  of  the  turning  points 
of  the  long  struggle  between  the  two  powers.     Car- 
thage had  ruled  the  sea  for  centuries,  and  now  it  was 
beaten  by  a  foe  who  had  first  taken  to  it  only  a  few 
months  before. ^ 

It  is  needless  to  gwo:  all  the  details  of  the  long 
struggle  that  followed.  Hannibal  met  with  his  end 
in  the  year  of  his  defeat  at  Myla;.  He  had  sailed  to 
Sardinia,  and  was  there  surprised  by  the  Roman  fleet, 
losing  many  of  his  ships.  As  usual  he  escaped,  but 
this  time  in  vain.  He  was  seized  by  the  survivors  and 
crucified. 


\ 


IJ 


*  Duilius  received  high  honours  at  Rome,  a  triumph,  a  column  adorned 
with  the  beaks  of  the  captured  vessels,  and  the  singular  privilege  of 
being  accompanied  by  a  torch -bearer  and  a  flute-player  when  he  was 
coming  home  from  dinner  at  night. 


i 


138 


THE  STORY    OF  CARTHAGE. 


BATTLE  OF  ECNOMUS, 


139 


'1 


Li 


The  next  two  years  the  war  (lriii(<Tcd  on  in  Sicily 
without  an>-  clecisur  cvcit.  thoii-Ii  tlic  advant.i*;c  was 
for  the  mnst  part  with    R.-m-.      i^yt   in    256  a'^-rcat 
battle  was  fou<^ht.     I'hc  kuuuui  r.c.vernment.  wearv 
of  these  te(li(,us  campaigns,  rcsoivcc}  t(.  ciin   the  war 
into  Africa,  and  attack  their  eiiein>  at  honic.     With 
this  end  m  view  they  collected  a  fleet  of  as  maii>-  as 
three  hundred  and  thirty  decked  ships.  On  these  th  y 
embarked  their  best  troops.      K.tch  vessel  had  a  crt  u 
of  three  hundred  aid  carried  a  c(,m])lcinent 

of  one  hundred  and   tuentv-   .,,!,lH-rs.       jiie   Cartha- 
ginian force  was  still  larger,  iiuiiiuerinn-  three  hundi 
and  hftv'  sliips.  and  one  luindrcd  and  hfty  thousand 
men.     'llie  two  fleets  met  at  I^cnomus,  a  promontory 
of  the  southern  coast  of  Sicily. 

The  Roman  fleet  wa>  lV>rmed  in  the  shape  of  a 
triangle,  with  the  apex  or  point  towards  the  enemy. 
At  this  i)oint  were  the  two  hu-e  ships,  each  rowed  by 
six  banks  of  oars,  in  which  sailed  the  two  Roman 
Consuls—Atilius  Ke-ulus.  of  whom  ue  shall  hear 
again,  and  Manlius.  I{ach  side  of  this  trian-le  v\as 
made  ui)  of  a  squadron  ;  a  third  siiuadron.  \v\uch  held 
the  transports  containin^r  the  cavalrv-  in  tcnv,  formed 
the  base;  and  tht.c  was  vet  a  fourth,  a  roerve, 
ranged  in  one  long  hn(  cover  both  Hanks  of 

the  squadrons  before  tliem. 

I  he  Carthaginians  adopted  very  different  tactics. 
They  airanged  their  .shii)s  in  what  mav  be  called  open 
order,  extending  their  line  from  the'shon  fii  out  to 
sea  with  the  view  of  sm-rounding  the  enenn-.  The 
shore  squadron,  or  left  wmg.  was  under  the  command 
of  Hamilcar ;    the  rest  of  the  fleet  was  led   by  the 


Han  no  whose  army  had  been  defeated  before  Agri- 
gentum.  The  Roman  fleet  began  the  attack.  Seeing 
that  the  enemy  had  but  a  weak  Hne  of  single  ships, 
they  bore  down  upon  the  centre.  Hamilcar  had 
foreseen  this,  and  had  given  orders  to  his  oflicers  to 
retreat  as  soon  as  the  attack  should  be  made.  This 
was  done,  and  with  the  expected  result.  The  Romans 
eagerly  pursued  the  flying  enemy  ;  their  order  of 
oaitle  was  broken,  the  two  squadrons  in  advance 
bein'4  separated  from  the  third  (that  which  had  the 
transports  in  tow)  and  from  the  reserve.  Then  the 
retreating  Carthaginians  turned  upon  their  pursuers. 
An  obstinate  fight  followed  ;  the  Carthaginians  had 
the  advantage  in  seamanship  and  in  the  speed  of 
their  ships.  But  do  what  they  might,  they  hardly 
d.ired  to  come  to  close  quarters.  The  Roman  ships 
were  fitted  with  the  dreaded  grappling  and  boarding 
machines.  If  these  were  once  brought  into  use  the 
battle  had  to  be  fought  by  the  soldiers,  and  there 
was  no  chance  of  standing  against  the  soldiers  of 
Rome. 

While  this  struggle  was  going  on,  another  com- 
nui.ced  in  the  rear  of  the  Roman  fleet.  Hanno  bore 
down  with  his  ships  upon  the  reserve  squadron  and 
threw  it  into  confusion.  And  then  began  a  third, 
the  left  or  in-shore  wing  of  the  Carthaginian  fleet 
attacking  the  squadron  which  had  the  transports 
attached  to  it  But  the  Roman  superiority  was 
maintained  everywhere.  At  close  quarters  the  Car- 
thaginians could  not  hold  their  own,  and  though 
here  and  there  they  might  sink  a  ship  by  a  sudden 
skilful   charge,    to  clo.se  quarters    they   were   bound 


140 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


^rsnner  or  later  to  come.     Hamilcar  was  the  first  to 
iLireat  ;  then  Hanno,  who  had  been  pressing  hard  on 
the  transport  squadron  and  the  reserve,  was  attacked 
in  his  turn  and  forced  to  fly.    Thus  the  Romans  won 
the  second  great  naval  victory.     Twenty- six  of  their 
sliips  had  been  sunk,  but  none  were  taken.     The  Car- 
thagmians  lost  about  a  hundred,  as  many  as  sixty- 
four  having  been  captured  with  all  their  crews.  Those 
that    escaped  were    scattered    in    all    directions,   and 
there  was  now  nothing  to  prevent  the  Romans  from 
invading  Africa. 


1 


II. 


THE   INVASION   OF  AFRICA. 


Hanno  hastened  home  with  the  news  of  the  disaster 
of  Ecnomus  (though  home,  as  we  have  seen,  was  not 
the  place  to  which  a  defeated   Carthaginian  general 
would  naturally  desire  to  go),  and  bade  his  country- 
men prepare  for  defence.     But  Carthage  was.  now  as 
ever,  almost  helpless  when  attacked   in  her  own  do- 
minions.    Her  subjects  were  always  disaffected  and 
ready  to  rebel  ;  and  even  her  own  colonies  were  not 
permitted    to    protect    themselves    with    walls.      No 
resistance  could  be  oflered  to  the  invaders,  who  found 
the  country  much  the  same  as  Agathocles  had  found 
it  fifty  years  before,   a  singularly  rich  and   perfectly 
defenceless  region      They  collected  a  rich  booty,  part 
of  which  consisted  of  as  many  as  twenty  thousand 
slaves.    It  is  possible  that  if,  instead  of  busying  them- 
selves with  plunder,  they  had  advanced  on   Carthage 
at  once,  they  might  have  finished  the  war  at  a  single 
blow. 

If  this  had  ever  been  possible,  it  certainly  ceased  to 
be  so  when  an  order  came  from  the  Senate  at  Rome 
that  one  of  the  consuls  was  to  remain  in  Africa  with 
such  forces  as  might  be  necessary  to  finish  the  war, 


II 


142 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


while  the  other  was  to  return  home  with  the  rest  of 
the  expedition.  Re^^ulus  was  left  accordini,rlv  with 
fifteen  thousand  infantry  and  six  hundred  horse  and  a 
squadron  of  forty  ships  ;  the  rest  of  the  force,  w  ith  the 
vast  booty  that  had  been  collected,  Manliu.-.  put  on 
shipboard  and  carried  hack  to  Italv 


ri-.m:k\ 


VK  1  H  A'.K. 


The  Carthaginians,  on  the  other  hand,  were  doing 
their  best  to  strengthen  their  force.  They  appointed 
two  new  generals,  and  sent  for  a  third  from  Sicily,  who 
at  once  came  back,  bring  in  ^i;  with  him  between  five  and 
six  thousand  men  It  seem,  stran-c  that  the  Romans. 
who  must  now  have  been  ma^tci-,   of  the  sea,  made 


DEFEAT  OF  HAMILCAR. 


143 


no  attempt  to  interrupt  him.  On  his  arrival  the 
Carthaginians  resolved  to  take  the  offensive.  The 
vvcalthy  citizens  could  not  bear  to  see  their  estates 
plundered  and  their  country  houses  burnt  to  the 
ground,  and  resolved  to  risk  a  battle.  What  might 
have  been  the  result  if  they  had  had  skilful  generals 
is  doubtful  ;  but,  unfortunately,  skilful  generals  could 
not  be  found.  Flamilcar  and  his  colleagues  marched 
out  of  the  city  and  took  up  their  position  upon  a  hill. 
As  their  strength  was  in  cavalry  and  elephants  they 


CROSS   SECTION    OK   il.llRN'    WALL.       FROM    DAUX. 

ought,  of  course,  to  have  remained  on  level  ground, 
where  both  these  could  have  been  brought  into  use. 
The  Roman  general,  whose  military  ability  was  great, 
^aw  his  advantage.  Half  the  enemy's  force  was 
useless  in  the  position  which  he  was  occupying,  and 
in  that  position  he  resolved  to  attack  him.  He 
ordered  a  simultaneous  advance  against  both  sides 
of  the  hill  on  which  the  Carthaginian  camp  was 
pitched.  The  cavalry  and  the  elephants  were,  as  he 
had  foreseen,  quite  useless ;  and  though  some  of  the 


II 


144 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


XANTIPPUS. 


H5 


mercenaries  stood  firm  against  the  first  charge,  these 
too  gave  wa)^  when  they  were  taken  in  the  rear.  The 
Romans  won  a  decided  victory,  though  they  were 
too  weak  in  cavalr\'  to  inflict  much  loss  upon  the 
enemv  in  his  retreat.  The  next  day  they  advanced 
and  took  up  a  position  at  Tunes,  a  town  which,  as 
we  have  seen,  was  not  more  than  five  miles  from 
Carthage. 

The  Carthaginicins  were  in  despair.  Both  their 
fleet  and  their  army  had  suffered  terrible  defeats,  and 
their  subjects  and  allien  were  in  rebellion— the  Afri- 
cans r;i\a-in:^  the  territory  of  their  late  masters  even 
more  mercilessly  tlian  did  the  Romans.  In  fact  they 
had  nothing  left  to  them  but  the  city  itself;  and  this, 
en twdcd  with  the  multitude  of  fugitives  that  liad  Bed 
into  it  from  all  the  country  round  about,  was  threat- 
ened with  famine.  Atlairs  were  in  this  condition 
when  envo>s  iirnved  from  Re;^uhis.  who  was  afraid 
that  his  year  of  office  nii-lu  cx[Mrc  before  the  war 
was  finished,  ofienng  to  treat  for  peace.  Envoys 
were  at  once  sent  from  Carthage  ;  but  they  could  do 
nothing.  The  Roman  general,  probably  aware  that 
the  Senate  at  home  would  not  sanction  any  great 
concessions,  demanded  terms  which  it  was  impossible  to 
grant.  The  Carthaginiiin  government  felt  that  they 
could  not  be  more  entirel)'  humiliated  by  absolute 
conquest,  and  they  broke  off  the  negotiation,  resolving 
to  resist  to  the  last. 

Then  came  one  of  th*  lingular  turns  of  fortune 
of  which  history  is  so  full.  The  pride  of  the  Roman 
general  was  "  tlic  pride  that  goeth  before  a  fall."  The 
Carthaginians  had  not  hesitated  to  use  their  almost 


boundless  wealth  in  hiring  mercenaries  from  abroad, 
and  now  there  came  to  Africa  a  body  of  these  troops 
in  command  c )f  one  of  those  soldiers  of  fortune  who 
h.ive  had  the  luck  to  have  great  opportunities  and  to 
make  good  use  of  them.  Xantippus  came  from  the 
l)est  school  of  soldiers  in  the  world— Sparta.  It  was 
a  spartan  who  had  turned  the  tiJe  when  Athens 
MiiMcd  likely  to  conquer  Syracuse;  and  another 
Spartan  w.is  to  do  the  same  service  for  Carthage 
,  ainst  Rome.  Xantippus  heard  the  .story  of  the 
late  battle  ;  he  saw  the  strength  of  the  Carthaginian 
f  ,  the    numbers  of  their    cavalry    and  of    their 

elephants,  and  he  came  to  the  conclusion — a  conclu- 
sion which  he  did  not  hesitate  to  announce  to  his 
I,  leiuls— that  their  disasters  had  been  due,  not  to  the 
inferiority  of  their  army,  but  to  the  unskilfulness  of 
the  generals.  The  Senate  sent  for  him.  Introduced 
into  the  council-chamber,  he  set  forth  the  causes  of 
the  late  defeat,  and  the  strategy  which  ought  to  be 
pursued  in  the  future,  with  such  clearness  as  to 
convince  his  hearers.  The  generals  were  displaced, 
and  the  "care  of  the  army  was  committed"  to  the 

.^^i  Milan. 

IWrvy  one  hoped  much  from  the  change,  and 
X,intii)pus  soon  began  to  show  himself  equal  to  his 
t.'isk.  i:ven  in  drilling  the  troops^and  this  he  began 
to  do  at  once— his  skill  was  so  manifestly  superior  to 
that  of  his  colleagues,  that  the  soldiers  began  to  feel 
the  utmost  confidence  in  him.  They  loudly  asked 
that  thcv  might  be  led  against  the  enemy,  and  that 
the  general  who  was  to  lead  them  should  be  Xantippus. 
The  other  generals  offered  to  give  up  their  commands 


t 


146 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


DEFEAT  OF  REGULUS. 


H7 


to  their  comrade  ;  and  the  army,  which  numbered 
twelve  thousand  ^--^^^t  arid  tour  thousand  horse,  and 
which  was  accompanied  by  the  enormous  number  of  a 
hundred  elephants/  was  led  out  against  the  enemy. 
Xantippus  arranged  the  elephants  in  a  single  line  in 
front.  Behind  these  he  placed  what  Polybius  calls 
"  the  Carthaginian  phalanx."  Probably  the  desperate 
condition  of  the  country  had  brought  a  force  of  native 
Carthaginians  into  the  field.  On  the  right  wing  were 
posted  the  heavy-armed  mercenaries.  With  them 
were  ranged  also  some  of  the  light-armed  troops  and 
of  the  cavalry.  The  left  wing  was  made  up  entirely 
of  the  two  latter  kinds  of  troops. 

Regulus,  on  the  other  hand,  when  he  saw  that  the 
Carthaginians  were  bent  on  fighting,  arranged  his 
line  of  battle  with  the  special  view  of  holding  his 
ground  against  the  elephants,  which  his  men  greatly 
feared.  The  light-armed  troops  were,  as  usual,  posted 
in  front  ;  but  behind  them  stood  the  legions  in  un- 
usually deep  and  close  order.  The  cavalry  were 
posted  as  usual  on  the  wings.  These  tactics  were 
well  contrived  to  resist  the  elephants,  but  laid  the 
army,  with  its  narrow  front,  open  to  the  flank  attacks 
of  the  powerful  Carthaginian  cavalry. 

Xantippus  began  the  battle  by  a  forward  movement 
of  his  elephants  against  the  Roman  centre.  His 
cavalry  charged  at  the  same  time  on  cither  wing.  The 
Roman  horse,  five  hundredonly  against  four  thousand — 

«  It  is  not  easy  to  imapne  bow  a  city  which  was  threatened  with 
famine  could  support  a  hundred  elephants,  each  of  which  must  have 
required  a  daily  ration  of  at  least  half  a  hundredweight  of  food,  some 
of  it  at  least  available  for  hamaa  consumption. 


if  these  numbers  are  right— was  speedily  overpowered. 
The  Roman  left  wing  at  first  fared  better.    Chargmg 
fiercely,  with  not  the  less  zeal  because  they  were  not 
called  to  encounter  the  dreaded  elephants,  they  fell  on 
the  heavy-armed  mercenaries,  routed  them,  and  pur- 
sued them  as  far  as  their  camp.    The  centre,  too,  held 
its  own  for  a  time.     The  front  ranks,  indeed,  were 
trampled  down  in  heaps  by  the  elephants,  but  the 
main   body,  with   its   deep,   close   files,  stood    firm. 
But  they  had  to  face  about  to  resist  attacks  in  front, 
on  the  sides,  and  in  the  rear.     One  part,  after  driving 
back  the  elephants,  was  met  by  the  phalanx  of  native 
Carthaginians,  which  was  fresh  and   unbroken,  and 
indeed  had  not  been  in  action  at  all ;  another  had  to 
resist  the  furious  charges  of  the  cavalry ;  nor  were 
there  any  reserves  to  be  brought  up.  The  greater  part 
of  the  army  fell  where  they  stood :  some  crushed  by 
the  elephants,  others  struck  down   by   the  javehns 
showered  on  them  by  the  nimble  African  horsemen, 
some  slain  in  more  equal  conflict  with  the  Carthagm.an 
heavy-armed.     The  few  that  sought  safety  m  flight 
died  but  with  less  honour.    The  way  to  the  fortified 
post  which  they  held  upon  the  sea-coast  (it  was  called 
Aspis  or  Clypea  from  its  resemblance  to  a  shield) 
was  over  a  flat  and  open  country  ;  the  cavalry  and  the 
elephants  pursued  the  fugitives,  and  few  reached  the 
fort     A  solid  body  of  two  thousand  men,  however, 
which  had  broken  through  the  mercenaries,  was  able 
to   make  good   its  retreat  to  Aspis.     Five  hundred 
prisoners  were  taken,  among  them  the  Consul  Regulua 
All  the  rest  of  the  army,  scarcely  less  than  twelve 
thousand  in  number,  perished  on  the  field  or  m  th? 


i 


!|| 


\ 


148 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


HORACE   ON  REGULUS. 


H9 


flitrht.  The  <jToat  liistorian/  froiii  whom  I  hri\'c  taken 
this  acc< iiiiit,  l:t)IlclLkic^  hi^  ii.irrativc  of  the  vaiiii)aii4"n 
with  reflections  on  the  cIiangCN  of  fortune  which  brin^i^ 
men  down  in  tlie  course  of  a  da}*  from  the  heii;hts 
of  pros|)('rit\'  to  the  (le{)ths  of  miscrv*,  and  on  the 
marvcll<ni>  rc>uil->  which  the  L;rniii>  v.i  a  sin;^lc  man 
can  effect  ;  but  he  sa\s  nothinj^  cither  here  or  after- 
wards of  the  roni.intit ■  stt>r\'  of  the  fate  of  the 
prisoner  Rcnihis.  \\*c  are  not  certain  to  what  \'ear  it 
behnr^.-i  uv  aiu  not  even  sure  th<'i,t  it  is  true  at  all  ; 
on  the  other  hand,  it  is  too  fimous,  too  noI)le  in  its 
rncanin!^"  and  moral,  to  l)c  omitted.  I  ma\-  therefore 
loll  i t  n o w  where  it  will  f i t K •  e  1  o s i »  the  e , i r e c r  of  one  of 
the  i^reat  siiHcrs  of  R< ^ae,  iliuMuipic,  fruL^al  men  who 
were  called  from  the  jilough  to  command  the  armies 
of  the  repubhc.2 

I  do  not  know  that  tlie  storv  can  be  better  told 
than  in  Iloraee  ■.  noble  ode,  [)erhaj)s  the  \ cry  noblest 
that  lie  e\x*r  wrote.  Re^ailus,  we  may  > ay,  i)y  wav  of 
prefice,  ;ifter  bein!L^  ke|)t  in  i)ri>on  at  (  arthai^e  for 
severed  )'evux  \v.!>  -u'nt  t( i  Rome  to  nc^rotiate  a  [jcace, 
under  the  {)i<hui.-jc  lu  u-ium  u  he  iaiied.  Am( )n;^  the 
terms  whicli  lie  was  to  offer  was  tliat  ( )f  a  r;msominij 

'    Pol  y  hi  us. 

=•111'  ■  i](.l  ill  later  tinie>  that   I         '  n  w  :i>  -nvnii^  his  hcMs 

when  the  me-.>>  i.  iue  witli  ttie  li.lini;>  -.t  in                                   unuI- 

ship  ;  ami   ifii  -meM  (a  '^or!   of    ■■      •     '                      ..j   .;-.( ;7, .■////.>■  was 

said  t(»  I'lav.     '  !i  ti»  the  t'liniiy  ii'im  tiiL>  en           '                Anmiiir 

the  future  nn  .,...,;    ,,,,,    |;,,,  ..      ,,,.^  j,^  j,j  ,,              ,  ^,1  ['n_-\,\<,  is 

"  Serranus  u't  i  .n-..Mi.->v              ■:,"*      I             '■■''  ■•.■»..■•       ,   ,,iy  tluit    the 

fiiNt    ReLjuhis  that  bore  tht   .; .»;  ^.  i;    ,.       ..i  of  the  liero  ; 

ami    >till    worse  U >  lie  tcM   ilnr    r!i.     !>!!<  -^"^r^    "'    the  word  is 

**  Sararuis,"  and  that  it  i).  iranum.  an  insignificant 
town  of  Umbria. 


>4 


or  exchani^in!^^  of  prisoners.  When  brought  into  the 
Senate,  wliieli  at  fust  he  refused  to  enter  as  being 
now  a  mere  Carthaginian  slave,  he  strongly  advised 
his  eouiUr\-men.  At  the  same  time  he  gave  his  voice 
against  peace  generally. 

With  waniini:  vuice  of  stern  rebuke 

'i1uis  Rej^uhis  tlie  Senate  sliook  : 

He  -iu   prophetic.  111  far  days  to  come, 

Tlie  JKMit-eorrui'i,  and  future  doom  of  Rome. 

"  Th<-  ,"  he  cried,  "  tlu  -e  eye>  liave  seen 

Unbloodni  .swords  from  warrior-,  torn, 

And  Rniiian  standards  nailetl  in  scurn 

On  I'unie  .>hriiies  obscene  ; 

Have  sren  the  lianils  of  free-l)orn  men 

Wreiiclied  l)ack  ;  th'  nnl)arred,  unguarded  gate, 

And  ficMs  our  war  laid  desolate 

liy  Romans  tilled  again. 

"  Wliat  !  w  ill  the  gold-enfranchised  slave 
Return  more  loyal  and  more  brave? 

\'e  heap  but  lo>s  on  crime  I 
The  wool  that  (  retan  dyes  distain 
Can  ne'er  its  virgin  hue  regain  ; 
.\ud  \alour  fallen  and  disgraced 
Revives  tiot  in  a  coward  Ijreast 

Its  energy  sul)]ime. 

"  'Ihe  stag  released  from  hunter's  toils 
From  the  dread  sight  of  man  recoils, 
Is  lie  more  brave  than  when  of  old 
He  ranged  his  forest  fiee.^      liiliold 
In  him  your  soldier  !     He  lias  knelt 
To  faithless  foes  :  he,  too,  has  felt 
The  knotte<l  cord  :  and  crouched  beneath 
Fear,  not  of  shame,  but  death. 

*'  He  sued   ■  ir  peace  iho'  vowed  to  war  ; 
Will  sueli  men.  girt  in  arms  once  more 
Dash  headlong  on  the  Punic  shore? 
No  !  tlu  y  will  buy  their  craven  lives 
With  I'unic  scorn  and  Funic  gyves. 


T50 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


^  '"'Khty  Carthage,  rearing  high 
Thy  fame  upon  our  infamy, 
A  city  eye,  an  empire  built 
On  Roman  ruin.s,  RtJinan  guilt  ?" 

From  the  chaste  kiss,  and  wihl  embrace 
Of  wife  and  Uahvs,  he  lurne.l  his  face, 

A  man  >rl(-(l  i  hi  (ii,  , 

Then  bent  his  manly  brow,  in  scorn, 

Resolvr.l,  irlin-'  imt  stem, 

To  earth,  all  silently  ; 
Till  counsel  never  htaid  before 
Had  nerved  each  vv.iv<ring  Senator; — 
Till  flushed  each  cheek  with  patriot  shame, 
And  surging  rose  tlu:  loud  acclaim  ;— 
Then,  from  bis  weep i tig  friends,  in  haste, 
To  exile  and  to  death  he  r  ' 

He  knew  the  tortures  that  Harliaric  hate 

Had  stored  for  him.      Exulting  in  his  fate, 

With  kindly  hand  he  waved  away 

The  crowd-,  that  strove  bis  course  to  stay. 

He  passed  from  all,  as  wlieri  in  days  of  vore, 

His  judgment  given,  thro'  client  throngs  he  pressed 

In  glad  Venafrian  fields  t.i  seek  his  rest, 

Or  Greek  Tareutum  on  th'  Ionian  shore.' 

What  IS  the  truth  about  the  "  tortures  of  barbaric 
hate"  we  cannot  sa\-.  The  Romans  had  a  horrible 
stor>'  of  how  the  hero  on  liis  return  was  cruelly  put  to 
death.  But  then  they  were  never  scrupulous  about 
the  truth  when  they  were  writirii^r  , ,f  their  enemies  ; 
and  about  Carthage  and  its  doini^s  the}-  were,  we  have 
reason  to  believe,  particularly  apt  to  exafr^erate  and 
even  to  invent.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Carthaginians 
showed   no   mercy  to  their  own  generals  when  these 

'  !  have  availed  myself  of  a  translation  by  Sir  Stephen  De  Vere 
(Bell  and  Sons,  1885.) 


REVENGE   FOR   REGULUS. 


151 


were  unsuccessful ;  and  it  is  very  probable  that  they 
showed  as  little  to  an  enemy,  especially  when  he  had 
done  them  such  damage  and  had  treated  them  as 
haughtily  as  had  Regulus. 

But  there  is  at  least  equal  authority  for  a  story  not 
less  horrible  which  is  told  against  the  Romans  them- 
mIvcs,  or  rather  against  a  Roman  woman.  The 
Senate  handed  over  two  noble  Carthaginians  to  the 
u  ifc  of  Regulus  as  hostages  for  the  safety  of  her  hus- 
l)and.  When  she  heard  of  his  death  she  ordered  her 
servants  to  fasten  the  two  prisoners  in  a  cask,  and  to 
keep  them  without  bread  and  water.  After  five  days 
one  of  them  died.  The  savage  creature  kept  the  living 
shut  up  with  the  dead, giving  him  now  a  little  bread  and 
water  that  his  torments  might  be  prolonged.  But  the 
servants  themselves  rebelled  against  these  horrible 
doings,  and  informed  the  Tribunes  of  the  people  of 
what  was  going  on.  By  them  the  poor  wretch  was 
rescued  ;  and  the  people  would  not  allow  him  to  be 
ill-treated  any  more. 


ROMAN  LOSSES   AT    SEA. 


153 


JL  JL  hE  • 


TN     SICII.V      \f;AIX. 

The  Romans  still  retained  tli<.  ir  superiority  at  sea. 
It  IS,  indeed,  a  \cr\'  strange  thini;   that  the  Cartha- 
[,nnians,    thoir^h    tlirv   liritl    hcvu    saiN.is,  and  adven- 
turous   s.ulors    1(H),    for    ( cnttiritN,    shnuld    Ii.nc    been 
beaten    rdmost    at    ouv-c  <'ii   Un  u"  own  ekiuciit  bv  a 
people  that  liad   had   little  or  notliiiii;-  to  do  witli   it' 
But  so  it  was.      Xi  v\-  df  the  (h>aslcr  that  had  liap- 
pened  to  the  arm\'  of   Rr-nhH  u  ;i<   hn ui^lu  ^.  Iv'inc, 
and    a    iIllI    ua     ^ent   it*   ciniv    tat    the    iv.u  11-011    ot 
Clypea,  which,  It  w         aid,  still    licld   out   ai^ainst  the 
eneiu}'.      It   met   and   defeated   tlie   tleet   of  Carth,    ,   , 
taking,   we   are    told    as   inaii)'   a-   *"u:    luindred    and 
fourteen  vcs^ci^  mil  t»f  <i   total  (»t   t\\(>   hundred,  and 
carried  the  troo|>s.      Hut  tlioutih  the  Romans  sccni  to 
have  fought  as  well  by  sea  as  by  land,  still  the\-  were 
not  sailors.     We  shall  hear  s«-  .  >  a  times  in  the  course 


*  The  fleet  of  Knnii'  itnj^t   li: 
the  Italian  allies,      1 
plt'yrd   in   it   were   eaileti 
sliitw  the  itinera  rice  of  the  K< 
(if  liovv  iht  of  lllf  slii] 

row   l»y  praciismj^  on  dry  KuhI. 
not  go  very  far  in  teaching  them. 


I),  t.,  a  ureat  exrerif.  manned  by 

.     i  earn  en  ern- 

ual   aUir-.""     I'ohhiiis.  to 

iri  tlie'^e  iriattrr>,  1; 

•iiilt  till  ring  tlie  war  v  uglit   to 

Xlie  })raili>ing,  one  imagines,  would 


of  the  next  few  years  of  terrible  losses  by  shipwreck, 
1.  w  hich  we  know  to  ha\'e  been  increased,  if  not 

cniiscd,  by  the  obstinacy  and  ignorance  of  the  officers 
in  command.     So  it  seems  to  have  been  in  the  case 
of  the  relieving  tlect.     The  i)ilots  warned  the  consuls 
that    the    south    coast    of  Sicily   was  dangerous,  but 
warned  in  vain.     The  result  was  a  calamity  of  which 
rul\-bius.  a  sober  and  sensible  writer,  says  that  "his- 
tory c;m  scarce!)'  afford  another  example  of  so  great 
and   gener;d    a   disaster."     Out  of  four  hundred  and 
sixt\--fonr  vessels  little  more  than  a  sixth  part  escaped. 
The    Carthaginians  were  proportionately  encouraged, 
and,  fitting  ui)  a  new  fleet  and   lev\-ing  another  army, 
1-, x.lved  to  have  another  struggle  for  Sicily.     In  the 
first  campaign,    indeed,    the\'   lost   Panormus,   but  in 
those    that    followed     the\-    had    a    clear    advantage. 
Again  the  weather  helped  them.     The  Romans  lost 
another  lleet,  and  for  a  time  gave  up  all  hope  of  being 
ma>tc  IS  of  the  sea,  contenting  them.selves  with  keep- 
iiv^  onl\-  so   man\'  \essels   afloat   as   were  wanted  to 
(  arr\'  su})i)lies  to  their  army.     In  the  field,  too,  Car- 
tha'^e  more  than  held  her  own.     The  havoc  which  the 
elephants  had  wrought  in  the  arm\'  of  Regulus  had 
not   been    U )rgotten,  and   the   Roman   armies  did  not 
venture  to  offer  battle  in  an\-  place  where  the  ground 
was  suitable  for  the  action  of  these  formidable  crea- 
tures.    It  was  not  till  the\'  found  out  that  it  was  easy 
to  make  them  as  dangerous  to  their  friends  as  they 
could  be  to  their  foes   that  they  dared  to  face  them. 
One  of  the  Carthaginian  generals  w  as  rash  enough  to 
u.se   the  animals   in  attacking  a  town.     The  archers 
showered    arrows   upon    them    from    the    walls    till, 


154 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


driven  to  madness  by  their  wounds,  they  turned 
round  and  broke  down  their  own  ranks.  Many 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Romans  on  this  occasion. 
A  still  greater  gain  was  that  tliey  were  no  longer 
feared. 

And  now  bci^m  one  of  the  most  obstinate  sieges 
recorded  in  history.   Ijlybieum  was  a  strongly  fortified 
town  near  the  Ca|)e  of  the  same  name.     Its  wall  was 
unusually  high,  and    its  (Jftrh   unusually  deep,  while 
the  harbour  could  be  ap|uuachcd  only  V  a  channel 
through    shallow    lake,    which    stretclied   between    it 
and  the  sea.     The  Romans  l)c-an   b\-  attacking  a  fort 
on  the  south-western  wall,  and  flattered  down^six  of 
tUv  towers  upon  the  wall,      llmnlco,  who  was  in  com- 
niand  of  the  garrison,  was  unceasing  in  his  efforts,  re- 
[)  iirmg  the  breaches,  dig,_ring  countermines,  and  watch- 
ing continually   for  a  chance ^  of   setting   fire   to  the 
Roman   works.     And  he  averted  a  u^rse  danger  in 
the  tlireatened    treacher)-    of  the    mercenaries.      The 
leaders  of  these  troop,    were   actually  in   treaty  with 
the  Romans,  when  Uumlcn  Iieard  of  what  was  going 
on,  and  contrived  to  break   it  off     A  few  da\-s  after"^ 
wards  came   help   from    Carth.i  \      news   of  the 

garrison  at  Lily b.eurn  liad  reached  thecitv.  and  it  was 
feared  that  thev'  were  in  chstress.  A  tleet'of  fifty  ships 
was  hastily  fitted  i .ut  aiul  des|)atched  to  Sicily,  with  a 
relieving  force  of  ten  thousand  men  on  board.  The 
admiral  in  command  waited  for  a  favourable  wind,  and 
then,  with  all  his  ships  ready  for  action,  sailed  straight 
into  the  harbour,  the  Romans  being  so  surprised  by 
their  boldness  that  they  did  not  attempt  to  oppose. 
Himilco,  encouraged   In-  this   reinforcement,  resolved 


I*— 


STELE  AT   LILYB.tl  M. 


ROMAN   DISASTERS. 


157 


to  attack  the  besief^ers.  Sallying  forth  with  nearly 
ln\  whole  force,  he  fell  on  the  Roman  works;  but  he 
iust  Miisscd  Ills  object  :  liis  troo[)s  were  on  the  point 
of  sctliiiL^  fire  to  the  eni,n*nes  and  towers  when  he 
found  that  they  were  sufferinf^  lieavier  loss  than  he 
could  afford,  and  withdrew  them.  But  a  few  weeks 
afterwards  he  succeeded.  The  works  had  been  injured 
1)\'  a  violent  j^ale,  and  some  of  the  mercenaries  saw 
in  the  confusion  thus  caused  an  opportunity  for 
destrox-ini;-  tliem.  Ilimilco  approved  their  scheme. 
Thi-c  hands  sallied  from  the  .L,^ate  and  set  fire  to  three 
different  places.  The  Romans  were  taken  by  sur- 
prise ;  and  the  wind  blew  such  volumes  of  smoke  into 
tlieir  faces  that  they  could  see  and  do  nothing.  In 
tlie  end  ever\  tiling  was  destroxed,  the  towers  being 
hnrnt  to  the  ground,  and  the  metal  heads  of  the  rams 
uieiied.  After  this  loss  they  gave  up  all  hopes  of 
taking  the  place  by  storm,  and  resolved  to  trust  to  a 
blockade. 

Meanwhile  the  Carthaginian  fleet  lay  at  Drepanum  ; 
and  this  the  new  consuls  who  came  into  office  in  the 
year  249  resolved  to  attack.  Publius  Claudius,  who  was 
in  command,  managed  to  reach  Drei)anum  unobserved. 
Adherbal,  the  Carthaginian  admiral,  was  taken  by 
surprise,  but  did  not  lose  courage.  He  manned  his 
ships  at  once,  and  sailing  out  of  the  harbour  by  the 
opposite  side  to  that  by  which  the  Romans  were 
entering,  formed  his  line  on  the  open  sea  outside. 
Claudius  had  to  recall  his  ships  ;  such  as  had  entered 
the  harbour  came  into  collision  in  backing  out  with 
those  that  followed  them,  and  there  was  great  con- 
fusion.    Still  the  captains  ranged  them  as  well  as  they 


158 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


could  alonfj  the  shore,  with  their  prows  turned  towards 
the  enemy.     But  they  had  lost  the  choice  of  ground  ; 
the  Cartha^n'nians  had  the  open    sea  and   plenty  of 
room  to  mantcuvrc.     They  could  retreat  when  they 
were  hard  pi;        1,  and  turn  again  when  the  oppor- 
tunity occurred.     When  the  Roman  vessels  ventured 
to  advance  they  were  attacked  in  front,  on  the  side, 
and  in  rear.     But    a   Roman  ship   that   uas  in  diffi- 
culties   had  nothing  behind  it  but  the   shore.     If  it 
retired,  it   either   grounded    in  the  shallows   or  was 
actually   stranded.      Nor  was    this    disadvantage   of 
place  counterbalanced  by  any  superioritv  in  the  build 
of   the    ships  or   in   seamanship.      The    shi})s    were 
clum.sy,  the  seamen  unskilful.     In  the  end  Claudius 
suffered  a  crushing  defeat.     He  made  his  own  escape 
with  thirty  ships  ;  but  all  the  rest,  nearly  a  hundred  in 
number,  were  captured.     The  crews,  too,  were  taken 
prisoners,  excepting  a  few  who  beached  their  ships 
and  jumped  ashore. 

Junius,    the    other     consul,    was    even    more   un- 
fortunate.    I le   had  a  hundred  and  twentv  ships   of 
war,    with  which  he  had  to  conve\-  a    fleet    of  eight 
hundred     transports.       The     Carthagin  ian     admiral 
forced    him    to   cast    anchor   on    a    lee-shore    (near 
Camarina  ,  where  there  was  no  harbour  within  reach. 
When  it  came  on  to  blow  the  blockading  squadron  put 
out  to  sea,  and  doubling  C.ii)e   I'cichvnus  escaped  the 
worst  of  the  storm.     The  Roman  fleet  had  not  time, 
or   perhaps   was    not    wise    enough,  to  follow   them. 
Anyhow,  it  was  completel\-  clestr( )\-ed.     "  Scarcely  a 
plank  remained  entire,"  sa>  s  the  historian.     As  a  few 
days   before  most   of  the   ships  in   the    harbour  of 


THE  ROM  AX  S   GAIN  ERYX. 


159 


Lilybaium  had  been  burnt,  Rome  was  now  without  a 
fleet 

Still,  the  siege  of  Lilybasum  was  pushed  on.  The 
blockading  army  had  now  most  of  Sicily  to  draw 
upon  for  stores,  and  was  well  supplied,  while  the  town 
could    be   provisioned    from    the   sea.     Though    the 


COIN  :    THE   TEMPLE   AND    RAMPARTS   OF   ERYX. 

Romans  gained  possession  by  surprise  of  the  strong 
I)ost  of  Eryx,  the  second  highest  mountain  in  Sicily, 
the  war  for  some  time  dragged  on  without  much 
advantage  to  either  side. 

And  now  appeared  upon  the  scene  one  of  the  few 
great  men  that  Carthage  produced.     Hamilcar,   sur- 


i6o 


THE   STORY  OF   C  ART  1 1  Ad  E. 


named  Barca,i  was  a  vcrv  vountr  man  wlicn  he  was 
ai)|)ointcd  to  the  command  of  tlie  Cartb  vnnian  tlcct 
and  army.  Ikit  he  had  already  made  hmi^cifanaine, 
and  I\e  i  showed  that  he  was  fit  for  his  |)()st.  lie 
established  himself  in  a  stron;^-  i)lace  in  tlic  north-west 
of  the  island,  be t wee n  1 '. mo r m u s  and  1) re [ ). i n u  m .  It 
was  a  loftv^  rock  called  Ilercta  (now  PciliX^'nio  ,  and 
seems  to  have  united  e\'ery  kind  of  advantai^e.  It  w.is 
so  difficult  of  ai)i)r(>ach  from  the  land  that  it  could  be 
defended  by  ii  very  small  force,  'rhere  wa-^  Nnni.> 
])n>ductive  land  in  the  neiL;hl)()urhood.  Tlu:  cnuiaic 
w.is  cool  and  health)'  ;  and  tliere  was  a  deep  and 
sjiacious  harbour.  In  thi-  i)lace,  though  the  Roman 
f( )ii,c->  held  all  the  neighbourhood,  he  maintained 
himself  for  tlu'ee  ye  •  His  tleeL-— for  Rome  had 
given  up  for  the  [)rest'nt  the  attem|)t  to  c()nnn<-uul  the 
sea — ravaged  tin 'southern  coasts  of  Ital\'.  and  helped 
to  furnish  him  v.'ith  sui>i)lies.  On  hind  he  kept  h\< 
enemies  engaged  l)v  |)erpetual  surprises  and  >tiaia- 
gems.  lie  won,  indeed,  no  grcit  viclorv  o\er  tliem, 
but  he  kept  them  from  doing  .unthing  else,  and  the 
siei^r  of  Ij"lvl)a*um  made  in >  j)ro;_;ri->s.  So  anxious 
were  tlie  Romans  to  drive  him  out  of  this  stiongiiold, 
that  the)'  at  one  time  assembled  as  many  <i^  forty 
thousarul  men  to  e.ni)'  on  their  attacks  upon  him. 
All,  however,  was  in  vain,  and  it  wms  of  his  own  tree 
will  that  at  the  end  of  tln-ee  )ears  he  took  up  another 
position.  This  was  luv  x,  the  capture  of  which  1))-  the 
Romans  has  bceti  menti( )ned  abov  e.  I  le  put  his  army 
on  board  the  fleet,  and  su( Idenl)-  carried  it  to  the 
place   which    he    had    fixed   upon,    and    though    the 

*  See  page  ii. 


HASDRUBAL'S  SUCCESSES. 


l6l 


enemy  still  held  the  fort  upon  the  top  of  the  hills, 
got  possession  of  the  town.  Here  he  maintained 
himself  for  two  years,  getting  little  help,  it  would 
Mem,  from  home,  for  one  of  his  chief  difficulties  was 
with  his  mercenaries,  who  were  clamouring  for  the 


I'lIcExNlClAN    WALL   AT    ERYX. 


pay  which  he  could  not  give  them,  and  whom  he  was 
obliged  to  put  off  with  promises.  Still  the  Romans 
could  make  no  impression  on  him,  and  of  course  made 
no  advance  in  the  siege  of  the  Carthaginian  fortresses. 


1 6:2 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


If  I familcar  could  have  been  evcr\'vvhere  the  war 
mi<,^ht  have  had  a  different  result,  or,  in  any  case, 
might  have  been  prnlorved  still  more  than  it  was. 
But  he  could  not  be  .tii^  that  liis  lieutenants  would 
be   as  able  as  himself.     In  241  Rome  made  a  great 


4»/i^> 


I'USIEKN    IN    TnK    WALL   OF    ERYX. 


eflfort  to  recover  her  supremacy  at  sea.  The  public 
treasurv'  was  exhausted,  as  it  might  well  be  after 
near)'  five  and  twenty  )ears  of  war,  but  private  citizens 
came  forward  to  supply  what  was  wanting.  Some 
of  the  richest  undertook   to  build    each   a  ship  ;  or 


BATTLE   OF   .FGATES   ISLAND, 


163 


two  or  three  of  smaller  means  would  join  together. 
Thus  a  fleet  of  two  hundred  five-banked  vessels  were 
got  together,  and  these  of  the  very  best  construction. 
With  this  Lutatius  Catulus,  the  consul,  sailed  to  Sicily. 
The  Carthaginians  seem  to  have  been  unprepared,  not 
expecting    indeed   that   the  enemy,  who  had   aban- 
doned  the  sea  for  several  years,  should  now  seek  to 
recover  the  command  of  it.     Catulus   was  therefore 
able  to  possess  himself  unopposed  of  the  harbours  of 
Lilybx^um  and  Drepanum.     He  pressed  the  siege  of 
the  latter  place  with  much   vigour,  and   meanwhile 
kept  his  crews  busy  with  training  and  exercise,  till  he 
made  them  expert  and  ready. 

The  Carthaginians,  on  the  other  hand,  prepared  to 
act      The  plan  of  I lanno,  who  was  in  command  of 
the   fleet,   was  this.     To   take  stores  for  the  supply 
of    Hamilcar's   army    at    Eryx,   and,   after    landing 
these,  to  take  on  board  some  of  the  best  troops  and 
Hamilcar  himself,  who  alone  was  equal  to  an  army  ; 
and  thus  engage  the  Romans.     It  was  the  object  of 
the  Romans,  on  the  other  hand,  to  force  an  action 
before  this  could  be  done.     Catulus  accordingly  put 
some  of  his  best  troops  on  board  his  ships  and  sailed 
to  .Egusa,  an  island  opposite  Lilyba^um.     Hanno  was 
at  Hiera,  another  island,  a  little  further  out  to  sea, 
The   whole  front  was   known  by  the  name   of  the 
Agates  (a  word  that  has  probably  something  to  do 
with  the  Greek  word  for  a  goat).     Catulus  intended 
to  give  battle  at  once.     Then,  when  the  day  for  action 
came   he   began    to  doubt.     The   wind  was  stormy, 
and  was  blowing  from  the  west,  and  so  would  help  th€ 
movements  of  the  enemy  and  hinder  his  own.     On 


164 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


CONCLUSION  OF   WAR. 


165 


the  other  hand,  there  was  much  to  be  lost  l)>'  tlclay. 
i\t    present    the   Carth;i;4inian    sliij)s    ucre    burdened 
with  the  stores  w  hicli  they  were  carryinj^.     If  he  did 
not  cni^ai^e  them  at  once  they  would  rid   themscUcs 
of  these,  would  take  on   board   som« ■   first- rale  troops 
in )m    the    army    at     Vavx,    and,    abo\('    all,     would 
have  tlie  presence  of  the  dreaded    Ilamilcar  himself. 
These    tlioui^hts    made    liim   resolve  on    battle.     The 
Carthaj^iniiUis    were   ahead}-    on   their  way    eastward 
when  he  put  ( >ut   to  sea.      His  crews,  become   stroni; 
and  dexterous  by  |)ractice,  got  their  shi|)s  between  the 
enemy  and  the   pomt   f( )r  wliich  he  was  makin^^  and, 
l.ln^ed   in   a  .smL;le    line,    j)rei)ared    to    receive    tliem. 
rile  conthct   was  short  and  decisive,      llanno's  ships 
were    encuml)ered    with    stores  ;  his   crews   were   un- 
skilled,   for   the   fleet    haii    been    ne*^dectcd,    and    the 
troojis  ( HI  board  were  nothin^i;  better  than   raw   levies. 
In  all  these  points  the  Romans  were  sii|)erior  ;  they 
had   iiothin<4  on  board  but  what  was  wanted  for  the 
battle  ;    their    rowers    were    well     trained,    and   their 
figliting  men  of  the  best  qualitv.     At  the  vcr)'  first 
meeting  the\'  sliowed  tlieir  sui)eriority.      Fifty  of  the 
Carthaginian  ships  were  sunk  and  seventv  more  taken 
with  all  their  crews  ;  the  rest  were  >a\cd   by  a  sudden 
change  of  the  w  ind  to  the  east  which  took  them  back 
to  their  anchorage  at  lliera. 

The  battle  of  the  /Egates  Islands  brought  the  war 
to  an  end.  Carthage  could  no  longer  pn )vision  her 
army  in  Sicily,  and  felt  that  it  was  usele  s  to  prolong 
the  struggle.  Accordingly,  Ilamilcar  was  empowered 
to  make  peace.  The  Romans  were  ready  enough  to 
meet  him,  for  they  too  were  exhausted  by  the  long 


I 


struggles,  and  after  some  negotiations  a  treaty  was 
made.  The  chief  condition  was  that  Carthage  was 
to  give  up  all  her  i)ositions  in  Sicily,  and  engage  to 
leave  the  island  alone  for  the  future.  She  had  had  a 
hold  on  the  island  for  at  least  four  centuries,  and 
for  nearly  two  had  cherished  hopes  of  winning  it. 
Sometimes  she  had  been  very  near  their  accomplish- 
ment. Now  they  had  to  be  finally  given  up.  This  was 
undoubtedly  a  great  blow.  We  may  call  it  the  first 
great  step  downward.  A  war  indemnity  of  nearly 
i,8oo,ooo  was  imposed.  But  Hamilcar  was  resolved 
to  save  his  honour.  The  Romans  demanded  that 
the  troops  at  h.ryx  should  surrender.  This  demand 
he  resolutely  refused,  and  it  was  given  up.  They 
marched  out  with  all  the  honours  of  war  and  were 
carried  back  to  Carthage  ;  and  so,  after  a  duration  of 
four  and  twenty  years,  the  First  Funic  War  came  to 
an  end. 


REVOLT   OF   THE    MERCEXARIES. 


1C7 


IV. 


(:AR'rHA(;K  ani>  hkr  mercenaries. 

W'l-:  have  MX Ti  more  than  (»ikc  t!iat  Carthage 
had  much  tp'nf'l-'  wnh  lu -a-  nu-rcenary  troops.  This 
trouble  now  caiuf  uijoii  licr  a.L;am,  and  in  a  worse 
form  tliati  ever.  The  fa.  t  u  a-  that  five  and  twenty 
years  of  war  had  exhausted  i\iii  her  vast  wealth, and 
she  could  not  meet  her  (Mi-:i"vinents  with  the  soldiers 
whom  she  had  hired.  1  m-i;,  vju  tlie  other  hand,  were 
more  [xiwerful  th;in  tlie\-  h<id  ever  l)een  before.  They 
were  not  troop-,  hired  for  .1  •  .iiii|»ai;4ii,  and  discharged 
after  a  few  niontlis'  hervicf  but  a  standing  army 
trained  b>'  a  lonii  war  to  kiiuu  each  other  and  to  act 
together  ;  and  many  of  them  had  been  taught  the 
art  of  war  In-  a  i;reat  soldier.  I  l.imilcar  Harca. 

As  soon  a^  i)eace  was  coneluded,  (jcsco,  Governor 
of  I.il>b.eum,  liad  beji^un  senditv^  the  mercenaries 
to  Carthage  in  small  detachments.  He  hoped  that 
as  they  caine  the}-  would  be  i)aid  off  and  dismissed 
to  their  homes.  I fad  this  been  done,  all  would  have 
been  well.  But  the  <;o\einment  cither  would  not  or 
could  not  find  the  money.  Shipload  after  shipload 
of  the  men  arrived  till  the  city  was  full  of  them. 
After  a  while,  so  troublesome  and  disorderly  were 
they,  they  were  collected  in  a  camp  outside  the  walls, 


\ 


and  left  there  with  nothing  to  do  but  talk  over  their 
grievances  and  ])]ot  mischief. 

When  at  last  the  mone\\  or  i)art  of  the  money,  was 
forthcoming,  it  was  too  late.     The  troo])^  had  found 
leaders,    and  the  interest    of  these    leaders    was   not 
peace  but  war.     One  of  them  was  a  certain  .Spendius, 
a  runaway  slave  from   Campania,    who    dreaded,    ot 
course,  that  when  everything  was  settled  he  might  be 
sent  back  to  his  master,  that  is  to  torture  and  death. 
He  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of  enormous  strength, 
and  brave  even  to  rashness.     The  otiier  was  a  free- 
born  African,  of  the  name  of  Matho.     He  had  been 
a  ringleader   in   all  the  disturbances  that  had  taken 
place    since   the    return    of    the  mercenaries,  and  he 
dreaded  the  vengeance  of  his  employers.     Matho  found 
his  fellow  Africans  ready  to  listen  to  him  ;  and  there 
was  probably   much   truth   in  what  he  said.      "The 
Carthaginians."  he   told  his  comrades,  ''are  going  to 
send  to  their   homes   the  troops  belonging  to  other 
nations  ;  when  you  are  left  alone  they  will  make  you 
feel    their    anger."     A    pretext    for    open   revolt  was 
soon  found.      Gesco,  who  had  been  sent  to  settle  with 
the  troops,  handed  over  the  arrears  of  pay,  but  put  off 
the  question  of  allowances  for  corn,  horses,  etc.,  to 
another  time.     At  this  proposal  there  were  loud  cries 
of  discontent,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  noisy  crowd  of 
troops  was  assembled.    Spendius  and  Matho  harangued 
the  assembly,  and    were  received  w^ith  shouts  of  ap- 
plause.    Any  one  else  that  attempted  to  speak  was 
killed.     "  Kill,"  says  the  historian,  was  the  only  word 
that  every  one  in  this   motley  crowd,  gathered  from 
almost  every  country  of  Western  Europe,  could  under- 


i 


i68 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


stand.  The  tviro  speakers  were  chosen  generals. 
Gcsco  and  his  staff  were  seized,  fettered,  and  thrown 
into  prison.  There  was  now  open  war  between  Car- 
thage and  her  mercenaries. 

The  African  towns  at  once  joined  the  rebels.  They 
were  always  discontented  with  their  masters,  and  this 
discontent  had  now  reached  its  height.  The  neces- 
sities of  Carthage  during  the  war  just  ended  had 
compelled  her  to  increase  the  taxes  of  her  depen- 
dencies, and  to  exact  these  taxes  to  the  uttermost 
farthing.  The  rent  in  kind  paid  by  the  cultivators 
of  the  soil  had  been  raised  to  a  half  of  the  pro- 
duce, and  the  tribute  paid  by  the  towns  had  been 
doubled  ;  and  any  default  in  |)a)'ment  had  been  cruelly 
puni-hcd.  So  fierce  was  the  wrath  raised  by  this 
oppitsion  that  the  very  women  brought  their  orna- 
ments— and  her  ornaments  were  no  small  part  of 
an  African  woman's  wealth — and  threw  them  into 
the  common  stock.  From  these  and  other  sources, 
Spend ius  and  Matho  received  so  much  money  that 
they  settled  all  the  claims  of  the  troops,  and  had 
still  abundance  of  means  for  carr)'ing  on  the  w  an 

Two  towns  onl\',  Hippo  and  Utica,  remained  loyal. 
These  were  at  once  besieged.  The  mercenaries  had 
three  armies  in  the  field.  One  was  beft)re  I lippo, 
another  before  Utica  ;  the  third  held  an  entrenched 
camp  at  Tunes.  Carthage  was  thus  cut  off  from  all 
communication  by  land  with  Africa:  but  she  still 
retained  command  of  the  .sea. 

The     Carthaginian   commander-in-chief,    Hanno,^ 

*  This  Hanno  seems  somehow  to  have  got  the  title  of  **  The  Great," 
but  to  have  done  very  little  to  deserve  it. 


•5     aS     R    35     "ii     « 


t 


PLAN  OF  HARBOUR  AT  UTICA. 


SIEGE   OF   UTICA, 


171 


marched  against  the  rebel  force  that  was  besieging 
Utica.  He  had  as  many  as  a  hundred  elephants 
with  him.  These  broke  through  the  entrenchments 
of  the  rebel  camp,  and  the  mercenaries  fled  in  con- 
fusion. Hanno,  accustomed  to  have  to  do  with  half 
savage  enemies,  who,  once  defeated,  could  not  easily 
be  rallied,  thought  that  the  victory  was  won,  and, 
while  he  was  amusing  himself  in  Utica,  allowed  his 
troops  to  be  as  idle  and  as  careless  as  they  pleased. 
But  the  enemy  were  soldiers  trained  by  Hamilcar 
Barca,  and  accustomed  to  retreat  and  rally,  if  need 
was,  more  than  once  in  the  same  day.  They  rallied 
now',  and  seeing  that  the  Carthaginian  camp  was  left 
unguarded,  attacked  it,  and  got  possession  of  a 
quantity  of  stores,  and,  among  them,  of  some  artillery 
which  Hanno  had  sent  for  out  of  the  city. 

The  conduct  of  the  war  was  now  committed  to 
Hamilcar.  The  strength  of  his  force  was  a  corps 
of  ten  thousand  native  Carthaginians.  Besides  these 
he  had  a  body  of  mercenaries,  a  number  of  deserters 
from  the  enemy,  and  seventy  elephants.  His  first 
operation  was  to  relieve  Utica.  The  chief  difficulty 
was  to  break  the  blockade  which  the  rebel  general 
Matho  had  established  round  Carthage.  The  hills 
at  the  land  end  of  the  isthmus  on  which  the  city 
stood  were  held  in  force  by  the  rebels  ;  as  was  the 
only  bridge  over  the  river  Macar.  But  Hamilcar  had 
noticed  that  a  certain  wind  brought  up  such  quanti- 
ties of  sand  to  the  bar  of  the  Macar  as  to  make  it 
easily  fordable.  Taking  advantage  of  this,  he  marched 
his  army  across  the  river  by  night,  and,  to  the  sur- 
prise of  both  friends  and  enemies,  appeared  in  the 


172 


THE   STORY  OF'  CARTHAGE. 


morn  in  j;^  on  the  other  side,  and  hastened  to  attack  the 
rear  of  the  rebel  U tree  that  u  as  ^luirding  the  bridge. 
A  stroni(  detachment  from  the  besict^ers  of  L'tica 
advance'!  to  sii|)j>ort  their  .  f»mrades.  I  lamilcar  was 
marchini;  with  his  ele[)haiU;^  in  front,  his  light-armed 
troops  behind  them,  and  his  hea\v'-armed  in  the  rear. 
(3n  corning  in  siijht  of  the  cnenu',  he  changed  this 
dis|)()sition.  Siiendius  nvistook  tlie  movement  for  a 
fliuiit,  and  ore Icred  a  cli.ui'c.  The  rebels  found  the 
heavy  tr()0|)s  <iinetlv  waiting  to  recei\e  them,  wliile 
the  cavalrv'  and  the  elephants  fell  upon  their  flanks. 
Tiiey  uere  soon  broken.  Six  thousand  were  slain 
upon  the  field  of  battle,  and  two  th.-u-aud  taken 
prisoners.  I  lamilcar  had  broken  the  blockade;  but 
IIi|)po  and  lUici  were  ^till    b<  nd   the   rebels 

were  still  in  force  at  Tunes. 

His  success,  however,  had  a  good  effect  on  the 
African  tribes.  One  of  the  chief  Numidian  princes 
came  into  liis  camji  with  a  force  of  two  thousand 
men,  and  Hamilcar  felt  himself  str.uig  enough  again 
to  offer  battle.  The  figlit  that  ensued  wu.  long  and 
obstinate.  At  last  tlie  Carthaginians  prevailetl.  chiefly 
by  the  help  of  the  ele{)hants.  Ten  tlioinand  rebels 
were  killed,  and  four  thousand  taken  prisoners.  To 
these  latter  I  lamilcar.  with  a  w  i-e  merc>-,  offered 
liberal  terms.  They  nn'glit  take  serviee  with  Car- 
thage, or  they  might  go  iiome.  lUit  if  they  were 
found  in  arms  again,  the)'  must  expect  no  further 
mercy. 

The  rebel  generals  were  disma\ed  when  they  heard 
of  this  politic  act.  Their  only  })lan  was  to  commit 
their  followers  to  deeds  which  could  not  be  pardoned. 


MAP  OF   PE.VJNSULA   OF   CARTHAGE. 


If 


MASSACRE  OF  PRISONERS. 


175 


Accordingly  they  called  an  assembly  of  the  soldiers. 
Into  this  was  brought  a  courier  who  professed  to 
come  with  a  despatch  from  the  rebels  in  Sardinia. 
This  despatch  contained  a  warning  of  a  plot  that  was 
being  hatched  in  the  camp  for  setting  Gesco  and  the 
other  prisoners  free.  Then  Spendius  stood  up  to 
speak.  "  Do  not  trust  Hamilcar,"  he  said.  "  His 
mercy  is  a  mere  pretence.  When  he  has  got  you  all 
in  his  power,  he  will  punish  you  all.  And  meanwhile 
take  care  that  Gesco,  who  is  a  most  dangerous  man, 
does  not  escape  you."  When  he  had  finished  speaking, 
a  second  courier  arrived,  this  time  professing  to  come 
from  the  camp  at  Tunes,  and  bearing  a  despatch  to 
much  the  same  effect  as  the  first.  On  this  Antaritus, 
a  Gaul,  who  had  shared  the  command  with  Spendius 
and  Matho,  rose  to  address  the  assembly.  He  had 
the  advantage  of  being  able  to  speak  in  Carthaginian, 
a  language  of  which  most  of  his  hearers,  from  long 
service  with  the  State,  knew  something.  He  told  his 
hearers  that  it  was  madness  to  think  of  concluding 
peace  with  Carthage.  Any  one  who  advised  such  a 
thing  was  a  traitor,  and  they  had  better  make  it  im- 
possible by  putting  the  prisoners  to  death. 

This  horrible  advice  was  followed.  Gesco  and  his 
fellow-  prisoners,  seven  hundred  in  number,  were 
cruelly  murdered,  and  from  that  time  till  the  end  of 
the  war  no  mercy  was  showed  on  either  side. 

For  a  time  everything  went  ill  with  the  Carthaginians. 
Hanno  had  been  joined  with  Hamilcar  in  the  com- 
mand ;  but  the  two  could  not  agree,  and  the  army 
suffered  greatly  in  consequence.  Sardinia  was  lost  to 
Carthage,  and  now   Utica  and  Hippo  revolted,  after 


I 


176 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


E\D   OF   WAR    WITH  MERCENARIES. 


177 


masscicrin<^-  their  Carthaj^n'n inn  <Tarri^nn'^.  At  this  crisis 
the  forcij^n  allies  of  the  State  >tt>(jd  faithfully  by  it. 
Ilicr* )  of  Syracuse  j^ave  thctii  lielp.  It  was  not  to 
his  interest  that  Carthage  should  be  destrovcd.  Rome 
left  without  :i  riv^d  would  be  too  powerful,  and  Syra- 
cuse uou.d  ^(M)ii  be  swallowed  up.  And  Rome, 
without  th< •  saini'  reason.  Ix 'havcd  cipially  well.  She 
would   not   t<ikc   i>  ;thcr  of   Sardinia  or  of 

Utica,  thoit'^h  l)(.th  were  i)frcred  to  licr  b>'  the  i-ebels. 
And  she  allowed  traders  to  send  sup|)lies  into  Carth- 
a;^e,  while  she  forbad  them  to  have  any  deaiinj^^s  with 
tlie  rebels. 

And  now  th^^  tf. 1p  turned  a^^ainst  the  mercenaries. 
They  were  bcsiL-ing  Carthat^e,  but  they  were  also 
besiej^^ed  themselves  Naravasus,  a  Xumidian  prince, 
with  hiN  cavalry  cut  off  all  sup|)lies  from  the  country, 
and  the\'  were  reduced  to  the  most  friirhtful  ex- 
tremities.  Spcndius  and  his  collea|Tues  endeavoured 
t« >  make  terms.  Uamilcar  ai^^reed  to  let  the  rebels  ^o 
free,  with  ten  exceptions  such  as  he  should  choose. 
When  the  treaty  was  conclutled,  he  said,  '*  I  choose 
amonfj  the  ten  those  that  are  now  present."  Spcndius 
and  Antaritus  were  two  of  them. 

The  siei^e  of  Cartha;^e  was  now  raised,  and  Uamilcar 
advanced  <i-ainst  the  camp  at  Tuncx  He  posted 
himself  on  one  side,  while  his  lieutenant,  } lannibal, 
took  up  his  position  on  the  other.  Spcndius  and  his 
fellow- prisoners  were  crucified  before  the  walls. 
IJnfortunatel)-  llamiibal  was  an  incompetent  general. 
Alatho,  who  was  in  command  of  the  rebels,  made 
a  sally,  stormed  the  caini).  and  took  Hannibal  him- 
self prisoner.     In  retaliation  for  the  death  of  Spendius 


he  was  fastened  alive  to  the  same  cross  on  which  the 
body  of  the  rebel  leader  was  still  hanging. 

Carthage  now  made  a  last  effort  to  bring  the  war 
to  an  end.  Every  citizen  that  was  of  an  age  to  bear 
arms  was  forced  to  serve.  Hamilcar  and  Hanno 
ai^recd  to  forget  their  differences  and  to  act  together. 
And  now  everything  went  well.  Matho  was  com- 
pelled to  risk  a  battle,  and  was  defeated  and  taken 
prisoner.  All  the  African  towns,  except  Utica  and 
Hippo,  at  once  submitted,  and  these,  finding  them- 
selves alone,  dia  not  long  hold  out. 

"  Such,"  says  Polybius,  "  was  the  conclusion  of  the 
war  between  Carthaginians  and  their  mercenaries, 
after  a  continuance  of  three  years  and  about  four 
months  ;  a  war  by  far  the  most  impious  and  bloody 
of  any  that  we  find  in  history." 

Carthage  came  out  of  the  struggle  much  weakened. 
Besides  men  and  money  she  lost  her  province  of 
Sardinia.  The  Romans  seem  to  have  repented  of 
their  moderation,  and  did  not  refuse  the  island  when 
it  was  offered  them  by  the  rebel  mercenaries  a  second 
time,  and  when  Carthage  prepared  to  retake  the 
island  by  force,  Rome  declared  war.  The  unfortunate 
State  had  to  give  way,  and  to  pay  besides  an  indemnity 
of  twelve  hundred  talents. 


HAMILCAR  IN  SPAIN. 


170 


CARTHAGE  AND  SPAIN. 

When  the  war  of    the  mercenaries   was   at   last 
over,  Hamilcar  Harca  was  left  the  jj^rcatest   man  in 
Cartha^^e.     It  was  he  who  had  saved  the  State  at  \h 
greatest  need  ;  and  it  u  as  to  him  the  people  looked  for 
guidance.      iH)r  the  next  fort)'  >cars,  or  thereabouts, 
he  and  his  family,  or  the  party  that  was  led  by  them, 
called  by  their  opponents  the  "  Harcine  Faction  "  had 
the   government    in    their    hands.       Hamilcai  .>.   one 
object  was  to  recover  what  Carthage  had  lost  ;  but  it 
was   an  object  which  it  was  difficult  to  attain.     To 
reconquer  Sicily  and  the  other  islands  of  the  Western 
Mediterranean  was  liopelcss.     For  four  hundred  years 
and  more  Carthage  had  spent  her  strength  in  these 
regions,  and  had  never  quite  got  them  into  her  grasp. 
Now  they  had  pct^^cd  for  ever  into  hands  which  were 
stronger   than   hers.     Not   only   must   no  action  be 
taken  directly  against  Rome,  but   nothing   must  be 
done  to  rouse  her  jealousy.     Another  war  with  Rome 
would  be  fatal,  at  least  till  Carthage  had  got  back 
her  strength,  and  war  had  already  been  threatened. 
Hamilcar  had  to  look  elsewhere,  and  he  looked  to 
Spain.     Carthage  had  already  had  dealings  with  this 
country.     She  had  trading  ports  along  its  coasts,  and 


she  had  got  some  of  her  best  troops  from  its  tribes. 
Hamilcar  now  conceived  the  idea  of  building  up  here 
an  empire  which  should  be  a  compensation  for  that 
which  his  country  had  lost  elsewhere.  This  idea  he 
kept  secret  till  he  had  begun  to  carry  it  into  action. 
He  set  out  with  the  army,  of  which  he  seems  to  have 
been  permanent  commander-in-chief,  on  an  expedition 
to  complete  the  conquest  of  the  African  tribes  dwel- 
ling westward  of  Carthage.  Little  or  nothing  was 
heard  of  him  till  the  news  came  that  he  had  crossed 
over  into  Spain,  and  was  waging  war  on  the  native 
tribes.  For  nine  years  he  worked  on,  making  a  new 
empire  for  his  country.  We  know  little  or  nothing 
about  his  campaigns,  except  that  they  were  successful. 
Not  only  did  he  make  war  support  itself,  but  he  sent 
home  large  sums  of  money  with  which  to  keep  up  the 
influence  of  his  party,  and  he  had  still  enough  to  spare 
for  bribing  native  chiefs.  At  the  end  of  the  nine 
years  he  fell  in  battle.  But  he  left  an  able  successor 
behind  him  in  Hasdrubal,  his  son-in-law,  who  had 
been  his  colleague  in  his  campaigns.  Hasdrubal 
carried  out  his  plans,  and  completed  the  work  which 
he  had  begun.  Here,  too,  we  know  nothing  of  de- 
tails. That  he  was  a  good  soldier  we  are  sure,  for 
when  the  restless  tribes  of  the  African  coast  had 
risen  in  arms  after  Hamilcar  had  crossed  over  into 
Spain,  he  had  been  sent  back  by  his  chief,  and  had 
soon  reduced  them  to  submission.  But  he  seems  to 
have  been  still  greater  as  a  manager  and  ruler  of  men. 
By  pleasing  manners,  by  politic  dealing  with  the 
native  tribes,  and  by  friendship  formed  with  their 
petty  chiefs — he  is  said  to  have  married  a  Spanish 


lit 


i8o 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


HANNIBAL. 


l8l 


princess — he  furthered  the  cause  of  his  count rv  more 
than  by  force  of  arms.  The  foundation  of  Xcw 
Carthage  was  his  work.  It  had  the  best  liarb( )ur  on 
the  coast  ;  it  was  near  the  rich  silver  mines  discovered 
b)-  iVlctci,  and  it  soon  bccainc  tlic  capital  of  the 
new  province.  So  powerful,  indeed,  was  Ilasdrubal 
that  he  was  suspected  of  a  plan  for  making;  himself 
absolute  master  of  Cartha;j,r  ;  wliile  the  treaty  vvith 
the  Rum  uis  by  which  the  bound. iries  of  the  tw(j 
emi)ircs  were  fixed  at  the  river  Ebro  is  spoken  of  as 
having  been  made  with  Hasdrubal. 

The  jealous)'  of  the  Romans  had  indeed  by  this 
time  been  roused.  Thev  saw  with  some  alarm  the 
wonderful  progress  that  the  Carthagini.m  i^eneral  was 
making  with  the  Spanish  tribes,  and  they  looked 
about  for  friends  for  themselves.  Saguiitum,  a  town 
partly  Greek  in  origin  ^^its  name  seems  to  have  been 
connected  with  that  of  Zacynthos,  one  of  the  islands 
off  the  western  coast  of  Greci  i|)plied  to  them  for 
protection,  and  they  readily  promised  it.  A  treaty 
was  concluded  by  which  the  river  Ibcrus  (now  the 
Ebro)  was  to  be  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  C  artha- 
ginian  province,  but  it  was  stipulated  that  Saguntum, 
which  lay  about  fifty  miles  within  these  limits,  should 
be  independent.  Hasdrubal  met  his  death  by  assas- 
sination. He  had  executed  a  Spanish  chief  for  some 
offence  against  his  government,  and  one  of  the  man's 
slaves  in  revenge  struck  him  down.  He  had  held  the 
chief  command  in  Spain  for  a  little  more  than  eight 
years. 

And  now  the  greatest  man  that  Carthage  ever  pro- 
dured  comes  to  the  front.     Some  seventeen  year. 


before,  when  Hamilcar  was  about  to  cross  over  into 
Spain,  his  son  I lannibal,  then  a  boy  of  nine,  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  gp  with  him.  The  father  consented, 
but  first  he  brought  the  boy  up  to  the  altar  on  which, 
in  preparation  for  the  expedition  he  was  about  to 
make,  he  was  offering  sacrifice,  and  bade  him  lay  his 
hand  upon  the  victim,  and  swear  eternal  hatred  to 
Rome.     We  shall  see  how  the  lad  kept  his  oath. 

He  was  present  at  the  battle  in  which  his  father 
met  his  death  ;  and  though  then  but  eighteen  years 
of  age,  was  put  by  his  brother-in-law,  Hamilcar's  suc- 
cessor, in  high  military  command.  "There  was  no 
one,"  says  Livy,  "  whom  Hasdrubal  preferred  to  put 
in  command,  whenever  courage  and  persistency  were 
specially  needed,  no  ofificer  under  whom  the  soldiers 
were  more  confident  and  more  daring."  And  indeed 
he  was  the  very  model  of  a  soldier.  He  was  bold, 
but  never  rash,  cool  in  the  presence  of  danger,  and 
infinitely  fertile  in  resource.  To  fatigue  he  seemed 
insensible.  He  could  bear  heat  and  cold  equally  well. 
Of  food  and  drink  he  cared  only  to  take  so  much  as 
satisfied  the  needs  of  nature.  To  sleep  he  gave  such 
time  as  business  spared  him ;  and  he  could  take  it 
anywhere  and  anyhow.  Many  a  time  could  he  be 
seen  lying  on  the  ground,  wrapped  in  his  military 
cloak,  among  the  sentries  and  pickets.  About  his 
dress  he  was  careless  ;  it  was  nothing  better  than  that 
of  his  humblest  comrades.  But  his  arms  and  his 
horses  were  the  best  that  could  be  found.  He  was 
an  admirable  rider,  a  skilful  man  at  arms,  and  as 
brave  as  he  was  skilful.  With  such  a  man  in  the 
camp,  there  could  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  successor  of 


J 


182 


THE   STURV   OF  CARTHAGE. 


Hasdrubal :  the  army  at  once  elected  him  to  the  com- 
mand. His  strong  resemblance  to  his  father,  whom 
many  of  the  soldiers  still  remembered,  was  not  the 
least  of  his  many  claims.  And  the  government  at 
home  could  do  nothing  but  confirm  the  election. 

Hannibal's  first  operations  were  against  some 
Spanish  tribes  in  the  interior,  occupying  the  country 
on  both  banks  of  the  Upper  Tagus  (the  western  por- 
tion of  what  is  now  Vcw  Castile).  A  great  victory 
over  a  native  army,  which  is  said  to  have  numbered 
as  many  as  a  hundred  thousand  men.  brought  to  an 
end  these  campai'^n^  which  occupied  the  autumn  of 
22 1  and  the  greater  part  of  the  following  year. 

In  the  spring  of  219  Hannibal  laid  siege  to  Sagun- 
tum.  His  first  operations  were  successful.  His  quick 
eye  had  spied  the  weak  place  in  the  town's  fortifica- 
tions, and  he  at  once  made  it  the  object  of  his  attack  ; 
but  the  Saj-untincs  were  prepared  to  receive  him. 
Indeed  they  more  than  held  their  own,  and  Hannibal 
himself  was  dangerously  wounded  by  a  javelin  thrown 
from  the  wall.     I^ut  he  had  the  advantage  of  vast 

numbers his  army  amounting,  it  is  said,  to  as  many  as 

1 50,000— while  the  garrison  had  not  men  enough  to 
guard  the  whole  circuit  of  their  walls.  The  battering- 
rams  were  used  with  effect,  and  a  breach  was  made. 
Then  came  an  attempt  to  storm,  furiously  made,  and 
furiously  resisted.  The  townspeople  are  said  to  have 
made  great  havoc  among  the  besiegers  by  a  curious 
missile,  which  is  described  as  having  had  a  heavy  iron 
point  and  a  shaft  w^hich  was  wrapped  in  tow  and  set 
alight     In  the  end  the  storming  party  was  beaten 


SIEGE   OF  SAGUI^TUM, 


183 


Meanwhile  an  embassy  arrived  from  Rome.  Han- 
nibal refused  to  receive  it.  He  pretended  that  it 
would  not  be  safe  for  the  envoys  to  enter  his  camp. 
He  could  not,  he  said,  undertake  to  protect  them  from 
his  barbarian  allies.  The  ambassadors  proceeded,  as 
their  instructions  directed,  to  Carthage.  Hanno,  the 
leader  of  the  peace  party,  pleaded  earnestly  with  the 
Senate  to  yield  to  the  demands  of  Rome.  He  ad- 
vised that  the  army  should  be  withdrawn  from  before 
Saguntum,  that  compensation  should  be  made  to  that 
tovvn,  and  even  that  Hannibal  should  be  surrendered 
as  having  broken  the  treaty.  But  he  scarcely  found 
a  seconder,  and  the  ambassadors  were  sent  away  with 

a  refusal. 

The  siege  meanwhile  was  being  pressed  on  with 
vigour.     The  garrison  hastily  built  a  new  wall  at  the 
spot  where  the  breach  had  been  made,  but  this  was 
easily  thrown  down  ;  and  a  party  of  the  besiegers  now 
established  itself  actually  within  the  city.  The  defence 
was  still  continued,  but  it  was   manifestly  hopeless. 
Hannibal  was  willing  to  give  terms.     The  Saguntines 
might  withdraw  with  their  wives  and  children,  each 
person  to  have  two  garments,  but  leaving  all  their 
property  behind.     While   this   offer  was   being   dis- 
cussed  in   an    irregular   assembly,    for  a  number  of 
people  had  crowded  into  the  Senate-house,  some  of 
the   chief  citizens  gradually  withdrew.     They  lit   a 
great  fire,  and  collecting  all  the  public  treasure  and 
all  the  private  property  on  which  they  could  lay  their 
hands,    flung    it    into    the    flames,    and    then,   with 
desperate   resolution,   leaped   into  them   themselves. 
While  this  was  going  on,  the  Carthaginians  forced 


1^4 


THE   STORY  OF   CARTHAGE. 


their  way  into  the  town.  Every  grown-up  male  was 
slain.  The  booty  was  enormous.  Enough  was  left, 
besides  all  that  the  soldiers  took,  to  bring  a  great  sum 
into  the  public  treasury. 

There   could    be   now   no   doubt   that   war  would 
follow.     The  Romans,  indeed,  made  all  i)rci)arations 
for  it.     Still,  anxious,  it  would  seem,  to  do  all  things 
in    order,    they  sent    another    embassy  to   Carthage. 
The  envoys  were  instructed  to  put  to  the  Carthaginian 
Senate  the  simple  (jucstion,  "  \\  as  it  by  the  order  of 
the  government  that  Hannibal  attacked  Saguntum  ?" 
The   Carthaginian    Senate    refused    to   give   a  direct 
answer.     The  speaker  who  represented  their  oi)inion 
pleaded  that  the  regular  treaty  between  Carthage  and 
Rome  made  no  mention  of  Saguntum,  and  that  they 
could  not  recognize  a  private  agreement  made  with 
Hasdrubal.     "Upon    this,"    says  Livy,  "the   Roman 
gathered  his  robe  into  a  fold  and  said,  'Here  we  bring 
you    peace    and   war:    take  which  you    please.'     In- 
stantly there  arose  a  fierce  shout,  *  Give  us  which  you 
please  ! '     The  Roman,  in  reply,  shook  out  the  fold, 
and  spoke  agrun,  '  I  give  \'ou  war.'      The  answ  er  from 
all  was,  '  We  accept  it  ;  and  in  the  sjiirit  with  which 
we  accept  it,  will  we  wage  it.' " 

Thus  began  the  Second  Funic  War. 


I 


VI. 


FROM   THE  EBRO  TO  ITALY. 

After  tne  capture  of  Saguntum,  Hannibal  went  into 
winter  quarters  at  New  Carthage.  He  gave  a  furlough 
to  any  of  his  Spanish  troops  that  wished  to  visit  their 
homes.  "  Come  back,"  he  said,  "  in  early  spring,  and 
I  will  be  your  leader  in  a  war  from  which  both  the 
glory  and  the  gain  will  be  immense."  The  winter  he 
spent  in  maturing  his  great  plan,  which  was  nothing 
less  than  to  invade  Italy.  Carthage,  he  knew,  had 
been  brought  to  the  brink  of  destruction  by  being 
attacked  at  home  ;  and  this  because  her  subjects  had 
been  raised  against  her.  Rome,  too,  had  subjects  who 
were  doubtless  ill-content  with  her  rule.  Within  the 
last  hundred  years  she  had  added  the  greater  part  of 
Italy  to  her  Empire.  It  was  in  Italy  that  he  hoped 
to  find  his  best  allies.  We  shall  see  how  far  his  hopes 
were  fulfilled,  how  far  they  were  disappointed. 

In  the  spring  he  made  a  disposal  of  his  forces. 
Some  fifteen  thousand,  chiefly  Spaniards,  he  sent  into 
Africa.  With  his  brother  Hasdrubal  he  left  an  army 
of  between  twelve  and  thirteen  thousand  infantry,  two 
thousand  five  hundred  cavalry,  five  hundred  slingers, 
and  twenty-one  elephants,  besides  a  fleet  of  fifty-seven 
ships,  chiefly  of  the  largest  size.     His  policy  in  making 


:i 


TQC^ 


'  t 


i  ^ 


'I 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

their  way  into^  the  town.  Ever}*  grown-up  male  was 
slaie.  The  booty  was  enormous.  Enough  was  left, 
besides^  all  that  the  soldiers  took,  to  bring  a  great  sum 
into  the  public  treasur>'. 

There  could  be  now  no  doubt  that  war  would 
follow.  The  Romans,  indeed,  made  all  preparations 
for  it  .Still,  anxious,  it  would  seem,  to  do  all  things 
in  order,  the\*  '%tmt  another  emba^^^i-  to  Carthci,^  , 
The  envoys  ucii.  iii^tructcd  to  pui,  iu  iiic  Ccirthaginian 
.Senate  the  simple  question,  **  Was  it  by  the  order  of 

the  government  that  1 lannibal  attacked  Saguntum  ?"' 

The  Carthaginian  Senate  refused  to  gi\e  a  direct 
aii.^v\cr.  llie  s|x;akcr  who  represented  their  opinion 
pleaded  that  the  regular  treaty  between  Carthage  and 
Rome  made  no  mention  of  Saguntum,  and  that  they 

could   not  recognize  a  private  ...^j cment  made  with 

Hasdrubal.  **  Upon  this,"  sa)s  Liv\-,  "the  Roman 
gathered  his  robe  into  a  fold  and  said,  *  Here  we  bring 
you  peace  and  war :  take  which  you  please.'  In- 
stantly there  arose  a  fierce  shout,  '  Give  us  which  you 
please  ! '  The  Roman,  in  reply,  shook  out  the  fold, 
and  spoke  again,  *  I  give  \-ou  war.'  The  answer  from 
all  u  a>,  *  We  accept  it :  and  in  the  sjjirit  with  which 
we  accept  it,  will  we  wage  it.'  " 

Thus  began  the  Second  Funic  War. 


If 


/ 


VL 


FROM   THE  EBRO  TO  ITALY. 

AFTER  tne  capture  of  Saguntum,  Hannibal  went  into 
winter  quarters  at  New  Carthage.  He  gave  a  furlough 
to  any  of  his  Spanish  troops  that  w  ished  to  visit  their 
homes.  "  ConTe  back,"  he'said,  "  in  early  spring,  and 
I  will  be  your  leader  in  a  war  from  which  both  the 
glory  and  the  gain  will  be  immense."  The  winter  he 
spent  in  maturing  his  great  plan,  which  was  nothing 
less  than  to  invade  Italy.  Carthage,  he  knew,  had 
been  brought  to  the  brink  of  destruction  by  being 
attacked  at  home  ;  and  this  because  her  subjects  had 
been  raised  against  her.  Rome,  too,  had  subjects  who 
were  doubtless  ill-content  with  her  rule.  Within  the 
last  hundred  years  she  had  added  the  greater  part  of 
Italy  to  her  Empire.  It  was  in  Italy  that  he  hoped 
to  find  his  best  allies.  We  shall  see  how  far  his  hopes 
were  fulfilled,  how  far  they  were  disappointed. 

In  the  spring  he  made  a  disposal  of  his  forces. 
Some  fifteen  thousand,  chiefly  Spaniards,  he  sent  into 
Africa.  With  his  brother  Hasdrubal  he  left  an  army 
of  between  twelve  and  thirteen  thousand  infantry,  two 
thousand  five  hundred  cavalry,  five  hundred  slingers, 
and  twenty-one  elephants,  besides  a  fleet  of  fifty-seven 
ships,  chiefly  of  the  largest  size.     His  policy  in  making 


I 


:^  I 


1 86 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


I 


these  arrangements  was  to  orarrison  Africa  with  Spanish, 
and  Spain  with  African  troops.  The  force  with  which 
he  himself  crossed  the  Ebro  consisted  of  ninety  thou- 
sand infantry  and  twelve  thousand  cavalry. 

To  cross  the  Ebro,  which  was  still  nominally  the 
boundary  between  Rome  and  Carthage,  was  formally 
to  commence  hostilities.  On  the  night  before  he 
made  the  passage,  Hannibal,  who  had  lately  returned 
from  a  solemn  visit  to  the  temple  of  Mclcarth  at 
Gades,  had  a  dream.  He  saw  a  youth  of  godlike 
shape,  who  said,  "Jupiter  has  sent  me  to  lead  your 
army  into  Italy.  Follow  me,  but  look  not  behind." 
Hannibal  followed  trembling,  but  could  not,  after  a 
while,  keep  his  eyes  from  looking  behind.  He  saw  a 
serpent  of  marvellous  size  moving  onwards,  and  de- 
stroying the  forest  as  it  went  When  he  asked  w  hat 
this  might  mean,  his  guide  answered,  "  This  is  the  de- 
vastation of  Italy.  Go  on  and  ask  no  more,  but  leave 
the  designs  of  fate  in  darkness." 

Hannibal's  numbers,  indeed,  were  much  diminished 
before  he  reached  the  foot  of  the  Alps,  which  was  to 
be  the  first  stage  in  his  journey.  He  had  to  conquer 
the  country  between  the  Ebro  and  the  Pyrenees,  and 
leave  a  large  force  to  hold  it ;  and  he  felt  it  wise  to 
dismiss  to  their  homes  a  number  of  men  who  were 
unwilling  or  afraid  to  go  on  with  him.  It  was  with 
fifty  thousand  foot  and  nine  thousand  horse  that  he 
crossed  the  Pyrenees.  From  the  Pyrenees  he  marched 
with  little  opposition  to  the  Rhone.  His  route  seems 
to  have  led  him  to  Nemausus  (now  Nismes),  while  the 
point  at  which  he  touched  the  river  was  probably 
Roquemaure.      Polybius  describes   it  as   being  four 


PASSAGE   OF    THE   RHONE, 


187 


days'  march  from  the  mouth.  He  found  the  further 
bank  occupied  by  a  strong  force  of  the  neighbouring 
Gauls.  His  guides  informed  him  that  some  twenty- 
five  miles  higher  up  the  river  there  was  an  island,  and 
that  when  the  stream  was  divided  it  was  shallow  and 
comparatively  easy  to  cross.  Accordingly  he  sent 
Hanno,  son  of  Bomilcar,  with  a  party  of  his  army  to 
cross  at  this  place,  and  to  take  the  enemy  in  the  rear. 
Hanno  found  no  one  to  oppose  him.  His  Spanish 
troops,  men  accustomed  to  the  water,  put  their  clothes 
and  arms  on  bladders,  and  swam  to  the  further  bank, 
pushing  these  before  them  ;  the  Africans,  who  had  not 
had  the  same  experience,  crossed  upon  rafts.  Han- 
nibal meanwhile  was  making  his  own  preparations  for 
the  passage.  He  had  collected  from  friendly  tribes 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  liver  a  number  of  small  boats. 
These  he  used  for  his  infantry.  Larger  vessels  and 
rafts  constructed  by  his  own  men  were  reserved  for 
the  cavalrv,  and  were  put  higher  up  the  stream,  to 
break  the  force  of  the  current  against  the  lighter  craft. 
When  all  was  ready  he  gave  the  signal  to  start.  The 
enemy,  though  startled  by  his  boldness  in  thus  crossing 
in  face  of  their  opposition,  would  doubtless  have  stood 
firm,  and,  perhaps,  successfully  resisted  him,  but  for  the 
force  which  had  already  made  the  passage  higher  up 
the  river.  At  the  critical  moment  they  saw  behind 
them  the  smoke  of  the  fires  which,  by  a  concerted  plan 
Hanno  and  his  infantry  had  lighted.  They  found 
themselves  taken  in  the  rear,  a  danger  which  no  un- 
disciplined troops  can  brave.  Hannibal,  familiar  with 
this  fact,  pushed  boldly  on.  He  was  himself  in  one  of 
the  foremost  boats,  and,  leaping  to  shore,  led  his  men 


ii 


i' 


THE   STORY  OF   CARTliAGE. 

to  the  char^-e.  The  Gauls  broke  and  fled  almost  with- 
out strikin<^  a  blow.  I  fc  had  still  to  get  his  elephants 
<*'  A    lar^e   raft   was  covered    with   earth  and 

mooRxl  firmly  to  the  bank,  and  to  this  again  a  smaller 
r;ift.  similarly  disguised,  w  as  attached.  The  elephants, 
led  f)y  two  frmalcs.  were  taken  first  ui)on  the  larger, 
then  upon  the  smaller  raft,  and,  fanc>'ing  themselves 
still  upon  dr>-  ground,  made  no  objection.  Then  the 
smaller  raft  was  detaclied,  antl  i)roi>elled  across  the 
stream.     The  great  I  .  were  frightened  when  they 

f^vund  themselve-^  afloat,  but  their  very  terror  kept 
them  quiet  :  and  two  that  plunged  into  the  water, 
though  then-  unfortunate  drivers  were  drowned,  got 
safely  to  the  O|)i)osite  shore. 

Hannibal  marclied  up  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhone 
till  he  reached  the  Ist!re.  Here  he  made  a  valuable 
ally  in  a  chief  of  the  Allobrogi  s  whom  he  supported 
against  a  younger  brother  that  \\a>  claiming  the 
throne.  This  i>rince  supplied  Ins  army  with  stores  of 
all  kinds,  among  which  shoes  are  esi)ecially  mentioned, 
iind  escorted  him  as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  Alps. 

lUit,  it    will    be   asked,    were    the    Romans   doing 
nothing  to  defend  themseh  es  against  this  invasion  ? 

'I '^^'y  1^'id  other  work  on  their  hands,  for  they  were  at 

u  ar  with  the  Gauls  in  what  is  now  Northern  Italy, 
but  was  then  called  Cisalpine  or  Hither  Gaul.  The 
first  armies  they  could  raise  were  sent  against  them  ; 
but  I'ublius  Cornelius  Scipio  (a  name  of  which  we 
shall  hear  much  hereafter)  was  despatched  with  a 
force  to  the  mouths  of  the  Rhone.  Had  he  moved 
up  the  river  at  once  he  might  have  hindered  Hanni- 
bal's  passage,  but   he   sat   still.     A   proof  that   the 


ROUTE   OVER    THE  ALPS. 


189 


Carthaginians  were  near  was  soon  given  him.     Han- 
nibal had  sent  a  squadron  of  African  horse  to  recon- 
noitre, and  this  fell  in  with  some  cavalry  which  Scipio 
had  sent  out  for  the  same  purpose.     A  sharp  skirmish 
followed.     It  was  the  first  occasion  on  which  the  two 
enemies  crossed  swords,  and  the  Romans  won  the  day. 
When  his  cavalry  had  returned,  Scipio  marched  up 
the  river  ;   but  he  found  I lannibal  gone,  and  did  not 
think  it  well  to  follow  him.     Returning  to  the  sea,  he 
sent  the  greater  part  of  his  army  under  his   brother 
Cnitus  into  Spain,  and  sailed  back  with  the  rest  to 
Italy.     This  policy  of  strengthening  the  Roman  force 
m  Spain,  in   face  of  what  seemed  a  greater  danger 
nearer  home,  was   masterly,  and   was  to  bear   good 
fruit  in  after  time. 

Hannibal's  route  across  the  Alps  has  been  the  sub- 
ject of  much  controversy,  into  which  I  do  not  intend 
to  enter.  The  view  which  seems  to  me  the  most  pro- 
bable is  that  he  marched  up  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhone 
as  far  as  Vienne  ;  then,  leaving  the  river,  struck  across 
the  level  country  of  Upper  Dauphiny,  and  met  the 
river  again  at  St.  Genix.  Thence  he  marched  up  the 
valley  of  the  Upper  Isere,  and  crossed  by  the  pass  of 
the  Little  St.  Bernard,  descending  into  the  Valley  of 
Aosta. 

The  dangers  and  difificulties  of  the  passage  are 
described  in  vivid  language  by  the  historians,  and 
indeed  they  must  have  been  terrible.  To  take  an 
army,  with  all  its  stores  and  baggage,  the  horses,  and 
the  elephants,  across  the  Alps,  was  indeed  a  wonder- 
ful task  ;  still  more  wonderful  when  we  consider  how 
late  it  was  in  the  year  when  the  attempt  was  made 


I  go 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


It  was  almost  the  end  of  October  before  the  summit 
of  the  pass  was  reached,  and  the  seasons,  there  is 
little  reason  tc  doubt,  were  colder  then  than  they  are 
now. 

If  Hannibal  had  only  had  natural  obstacles  to  con- 
tend with  he  would  have  liad  plenty  to  do;  but  he 
found  the  mountain  tribes  fiercely  hostile.  They 
resented  the  intrusion  of  this  formidable  force  into 
their  country,  and  they  saw  an  excellent  opportunity 
for  plunderin<^.  Their  attacks  bcj^an  as  soon  as  he 
commenced  the  ascent,  and  were  continued  till  he 
had  nearly  reached  the  highest  point.  The  first  stage 
of  the  march  was  at  the  pass  which  leads  to  the 
Lake  of  Bourget  Every  mile  of  this  had  to  be  won 
by  hard  fighting.  The  road  was  steep  and  narrow, 
and  the  barbarians  attackcil  the  army  from  points  of 
vantage.  It  was  only  I lannibal's  foresight  in  occupy- 
ing a  still  higher  position,  which  the  enemy  had  left 
during  the  night,  that  prevented  a  most  serious  loss. 
When  the  plain  at  the  upper  end  of  the  pass  was 
reached,  the  disciplined  army  had  nothing  to  fear. 
The  mountaineers'  fortified  town  was  stormed,  and 
much  of  the  property  that  had  been  lost  was  regained. 
The  next  three  days'  march  was  made  without  oppo- 
sition; and  then  the  mountain  tribes,  seeing  that  force 
had  failed,  tried  what  treachery  could  do.  Their  chiefs 
came  into  the  camp,  offered  hostages,  sent  in  supplies, 
and  promised  to  guide  the  army  by  the  best  and 
shortest  route.  Hannibal  did  not  wholly  trust  them, 
and  took  precautions  against  a  sudden  attack.  But 
he  allowed  the  guides  to  lead  him  into  a  dangerous 
defile,  where  the  longer  road  would  have  been  safer. 


< 


y. 

r 

'S. 

(J 


ROCKS   SPLIT    WITH   VINEGAR. 


193 


At  the  most  critical  point  of  the  march  the  enemy 
attacked,  rollin:,^  down  great  rocks  or  sending  showers 
of  stones  from  the  cliffs.  The  loss  was  great,  but  the 
army  struggled  through.  The  elephants,  difficult 
as  they  must  have  been  to  drive  up  those  narrow 
and  slippery  roads,  were  of  great  service.  The  moun- 
taineers were  terrified  at  the  sight  of  them,  and 
wherever  they  were  visible  did  not  v^enture  to 
approach. 

The  story  of  how  Hannibal  split  with  fire  and 
vinegar  the  rocks  which  his  men  could  neither  remove 
or  climb  over  is  so  famous  that  it  cannot  be  omitted, 
though  it  is  not  easy  to  imagine  how  the  vinegar 
came  to  be  there.  Had  his  foresight,  wonderful  as  it 
was,  extended  so  far  as  to  provide  this  most  unlikely 
kind  of  store  .>  Hit  without  further  criticism  I  shall 
quote  Livy's  own  words.  "  Having  to  cut  into  the 
str)ne,  they  heaped  up  a  huge  pile  of  wood  from  great 
trees  in  the  neighbourhood,  which  they  had  felled  and 
Ic )i)ped.  As  soon  as  there  was  strength  enough  in 
the  wind  to  create  a  blaze  they  lighted  the  pile, 
and  melted  the  rocks,  as  they  heated,  by  pouring 
vinegar  upon  them.  The  burning  stone  was  then 
cleft  open  with  iron  implements." 

Livy  represents  this  incident  as  occurring  in  the 
course  of  the  descent.  By  that  time  the  work,  of 
course,  was  really  done.  The  army  took  nine  days, 
wc  are  told,  to  make  its  way  to  the  top.  That  once 
reached,  they  were  permitted  to  rest  two  days. 
When  they  resumed  their  march  a  fall  of  snow  almost 
reduced  them  to  despair.  But  Hannibal  told  them 
to  keep  up  their  courage.     He  would  show  them  the 


»" 


IM 


194 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


end  of  their  toils.  And  indeed,  a  little  further  on, 
they  came  to  a  point  from  which  they  could  look 
down  on  the  rich  i)lains  of  Italy.  "  You  are  climb- 
ing," he  cried  to  his  men,  "  not  the  walls  of  Italy  only, 
but  of  Rome  itself.  What  remains  will  be  a  smooth 
descent  ;  after  one  or,  at  the  most,  two  battles,  we 
shall  have  the  capital  of  Italy  in  our  hands." 

Six  days  sufficed  for  the  descent  It  was  more 
than  four  months  since  Hannibal  had  started  from 
New  Carthage.  His  losses  on  the  way  had  been 
terrible.  He  brought  down  with  him  into  the  plains 
of  Italy  not  more  than  twenty  thousand  infantry 
(three-fifths  of  them  Africans  and  the  remainder 
Spaniards)  and  six  thousand  cavalry  ;  and  he  had 
left  thirty-three  thousand,  most  of  them  victims  of 
disease  and  cold,  upon  his  road.  This  was  the  force, 
if  we  are  to  reckon  only  his  regular  troops,  with 
which  he  uiis  to  undertake  the  conquest  of  Italy. 
The  numbers  rest  on  the  authority  of  a  Roman  who 
was  a  prisoner  in  the  Carthaginian  camp,  and  who 
heard  them  from  the  lips  of  the  great  general  himself. 


LAKE    TRASUMENNUS, 


207 


hJs  e\'es.  When  he  reached  the  higher  ground  he 
gave  his  troops  a  short  rest,  and  then  marched  boldly 
towards  Rome,  wasting  the  country,  which  was  one 
of  the  richest  parts  of  Italy,  most  cruelly  as  he  went. 
One  of  the  Roman  Consuls,  Plaminius,  was  at 
Arretium  with  about  thirt\-  thousand  men  ;  the  other 
was  at  Ariminum  on  the  east  coast  with  as  many 
more.  Hannibal  ventured  to  leave  them  in  his  rear, 
and  now  there  was  no  army  between  him  and  Rome. 
Flaminius,  who  had  found  it  hard  to  sit  still  and  see 
the  country  of  his  allies  wasted  with  fire  and  sword 
before  his  eyes,  could  not  allow  Rome  itself  to  be 
attacked  without  striking  a  blow  for  it.  He  broke 
up  his  camp,  and  followed  the  Carthaginians.  This 
w^as  exactly  what  Hannibal  expected  and  wished. 
And  he  laid  an  ambush  for  his  pursuer.  The  road 
from  Cortona  to  Pcrusia,  along  which  he  was  march- 
ing, passed  close  to  the  northern  shore  of  the  Lake 
Trasumennus.  Near  the  north-west  corner  of  the 
lake  the  hills  on  either  side  of  this  lake  approach 
close  to  each  other ;  at  the  north-east  corner  again 
there  is  a  still  narrower  passage  formed  by  the  hills 
on  the  north,  and  the  lake  itself  on  the  south.  Be- 
tween these  two  is  a  level  plain,  somewhat  like  a  bow 
in  shape,  if  we  suppose  the  edge  of  the  water  to  be 
the  string,  and  the  retreating  hills  the  bow  itself.  In 
front  of  the  hills  which  commanded  the  eastern  end 
of  the  pass  Hannibal  posted  his  African  and  Spanish 
troops  ;  and  here  he  himself  remained.  At  the  end 
of  the  pass  itself,  behind  some  rising  ground  which 
conveniently  concealed  them,  he  stationed  his  Gallic 
cavalry.     The    rest   of  his    army   he  placed   on  the 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

further  slopes  of  the  hills  which  enclosed  the  plain 
u| )(in  the  north. 

Flam  in  ins  reached  the  western  end  of  the  lake  at 
sunset,  and  pitched  his  camp  there  for  the  night. 
The  next  mornin:^^  while  the  lij^^lit  u^^  .^till  dim,  and 
without,  it  seems,  attcinptin<^^  to  reconnoitre  his  nuite, 
he  continued  his  march.  When  his  whole  army  had 
pass(<l  through  the  defile  into  the  i)lain  beyond, 
llaiHiibal  gave  the  signal  whiuii  Had  been  arranged, 
atul  the  Xuniidian  cavalry  with  the  Gallic  infantry 
(U-scended  from  the  hills,  ami  occui)ied  the  western 
outlet.  The  Roman  armv  \\;is  liemmed  in.  They 
were  surrounded,  Unu  witli  mi>t,  uhicli  rose  from  the 
lake  and  lay  thick  ui)on  tb( '  level  gn )un(l,  while  the 
sunshine  \va^  bright  upon  the  sl()[)es  down  which  the 
enemy  was  moving  to  tlie  attack.  Before  they  could 
form  their  ranks  in  < irder  of  battle,  almost  before  they 
could  draw  their  swords,  tlie  enem\'  was  upon  them. 

l-'laininius  did  his  best,  but  it  was  very  little  that 
he  could  do.  Tlieic  w-k  no  ^rnpe  for  a  general's 
skill,  even  if  he  had  i>().m-m  li  u.  It  was  a  soldiers' 
battle,  where  everv  man  Iiad  to  fight  f< )r  himself;  but 
the  soldiers  of  Rome,  newly  recruited  ploughmen 
and  vinedres<"r<  were  scarcely  a  match  for  the 
veterans  ( >f  cuLhage,  and  were  now  taken  at  a 
terrible    di  sad  van!  Still,   for  a    time,   they    held 

tlicir  ground,  b'or  tlirce  hours  the  battle  raged,  so 
fiercely  that  n( )ne  of  the  comhatants  felt  the  shock 
of  an  earth(|uake  which  thai  u.iv  laid  more  than  one 
Italian  city  in  ruins.  Then  the  Consul  fell.  Con- 
spicuous in  his  splendid  arms,  he  had  kept  up  the 
Roman    battle,  till    one  of    Hannibal's   troopers,   an 


SLAUGHTER   OF  THE   ROMAXS. 


209 


Insuhrian  Gaul,  recognizing  his  face  (for  Flaminius 
had  coniiucnd  the  Insubrians  eight  \'ears  before), 
tiercel)- chargi'd  him.  "See!"  cried  tlie  man  to  his 
comrades,  'Mliis  is  he  who  slaughtered  our  legions 
and  laid  wa^tc  our  fields.  I  will  otTer  him  a  sacrifice 
to  tlie  sliadrs  of  my  countrx'men."  The  Consul's 
armour-bearer  throw  himself  in  the  wa\',  but  was 
struck  down  ;  and  Ducarius  (tor  that  was  the  trooper's 
name  ran  tlie  Consul  through  with  his  lance.  Then 
the  Romans  ceased  to  resist,  even  as  the  English 
e(  i-«(|  at  Scnl.ic  when  Harold  was  slain.  Some 
.sought  U)  ese.ipe  by  tlie  hills,  others  waded  out  into 
the  l;d;e,  u  liicli  is  shallow  to  some  distance  from  the 
.^iKae.  Men  uciglued  with  heavy  armour  could  not 
hope  to  e.scai)e  by  swimming  ;  yet  some  were 
desperate  enough  to  try  it.  These  were  either 
diuwned  in  the  dee[)er  water,  or  struggling  back  to 
the  shallows  were  slaughtered  in  crowds  by  the 
ea\a!'\-  nhich  had  now  ridden  into  the  water.  About 
six  thousand  of  the  v.mguard  cut  their  way  through 
the  (  IK  ni\'  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  pass,  and  halted 
on  the  hi<di  ground  bexond  to  watch  the  result  of  the 
bitti,..  When  the  mist  lifted,  as  the  sun  gained 
sucngth,  from  hill  and  plain,  they  saw  that  their 
comrades  were  hopelessly  defeated,  and,  taking  up 
their  standards,  hurried  away.  But  without  pro- 
visions, and  not  knowing  which  way  to  turn,  they 
surrendered  themselves  next  day  to  Hannibal.  About 
tc  n  thousand  contrived  to  escape  from  the  field  of 
battle.  These  made  the  best  of  their  way  to  Rome. 
Nc.irly  fifteen  thousand  fell  on  the  field  or  in  the 
fliLdit.     The    Carthaginians    lost    two    thousand    and 


210 


77//:   STOkV   OF  CARTHAGE, 


five  hundred,  a  proof  that  for  a  time  at  least  the 
Romans  had  not  sold  their  Hves  for  nothin^^.  The 
body  of  the  Consul  utis  never  found,  though  I  lannibal, 
anxious  to  |,n've  so  brave  a  foe  an  honourable  burial, 
ordered  a  careful  search  to  be  made  for  it. 

A  few  da\s  afterwards   Hannibal  had  another  suc- 
cess.    Maharbal   surprised  a  body  of  cavalry  which 
Servilius  was  sending  to   help  his   colleague,  killed 
half,    and    took   the  other    half  prisoners.     He    then 
marched    south,  but   not,  as  one   might    expect,   on 
Rome,  though  it  had  no  army  to  protect  it.     He  was 
afraid  of  undertaking  the  siege  of  such  a  city  ;  indeed, 
when  he  attempted  to  take   Spoletium,  a  colony,  or 
military  settlement,  in   Umbria,  he  was  beaten   back 
with  great  loss.     IJe  marched  on  in  a  south-easterly 
direction,  wasting  the  country  as  he  went,  and  gather- 
ing an   immense  booty,  till  he  came  to  the  eastern 
sea  near  a  town  called  Hadria.     There  he  took  a  few 
days  rest  and  refreshed  his  army,  for  both  men  and 
horses  were  terribly  exhausted  with  toil  and  privation. 
We  are  told  that  the  horses,  which  were  covered  in 
ulcers,  were  bathed  in  old  wine,  and  that  this  treat- 
ment  cured    them.     From   this   place,   too.  he   sent 
despatches  to  Carthage  with  an  account  of  what  he 
had  done.     They  were  the  first  that  he  had  written 
since  he  crossed  the  Ebro.     Soldiers  say  that  the  most 
dangerous  thing  that  a  general  can  do  is  to  cut  him- 
self off  from  his  base,  to  launch  himself  into  the  air, 
as  it  is  sometimes  called— that  is,  to  leave  nothing  be- 
hind him  on  which  he  can   fall  back.     Hannibal  had 
done  this  so  boldly  that  he  had  never  been  able  even 
to  send  a  messenger  back  with  a  letter.     Now  he  was 


HAXXIBAL'S   POLICY. 


211 


at  the  sea,  and  letters  could  be  sent  to  and  fro  without 
hindrance.  He  is  also  said  at  this  time  to  have  armed 
some  of  his  African  infantry  with  arms  of  the  Roman 
fashion.  From  Hadria  he  moved  still  southward, 
ravaging  the  eastern  part  of  Italy  as  far  down  as 
Apulia,  but  always  showing  that  it  was  w^ith  Rome 
and  not  with  the  Italian  subjects  of  Rome  that  he 
was  waging  war.  Any  Roman  citizen,  or  child  of  a 
Roman  citizen  that  was  of  age  to  carry  arms,  he 
ordered  to  be  slain.*  The  Italians  that  fell  into  his 
hands  he  not  only  spared,  but  treated  with  the  utmost 
kindness. 

'  So  goes  the  Roman  story,  but  the  frequent  mention  of  Roman 
prisoners  Miems  to  prove  that  it  was  false. 


T'Y 


FARM'S    \\l>   ni>    r\(  rics. 

At  Rome,  after  til    *'    '  "    ''         '"     -itT  and  terror 
liad  passed  nv  rvthiriL^  w.i^  !><  "ii^  iloiu*  to  carry 

:  HI  t li e  w . I r  w i t ! i  v\'  * « > u r_      \ .  i  i . 1 1 1  ! , ( •   . , f  sin- r* •  n d cr, 

or    even    ut    [X  i  IK :    Liihi     L«  Uiiiii.illd    of    all     the 

aninrs   of  the  hl.ite  uas  L;i\en   to  a   \    '  '  '"     , 

(,)uintu>  I'a})iu^  M.ixiinu^  Ijv  name,  w  Im  li.id  won  the 
honoiu'    of   a    triurnoh    nearlv    twcnti-    vt   nx    Ik-T.  .rr. 

I''al)ius'  tn>t  dK I  w  .1-.  u  '  n  •n>u!t  the  Ii'-'mv-^  ta  liu    .^in\  1.' 

They  ucrr  f  nmd  to  j)r('-^(  iil  i  ious  art^  of  worship 

of  the  (hmU,  a>  the  olf( "rin*;"  of  f-         in  ami  es, 

t!u'  hni1(h*n<^^  ( >f  tenijile^,  and  thr  rrh  hratin'.,^  pnl)h*c 
j^tUiiLs.  1  licse  were  either  d(>iK:  at  u:ui'  (U"  pr<>inise(l 
ft )  r  s  o  [  11  e  f  u  1 1 1  re  time.  1  "he  Dictator  t  <  >  r  t  h  i  -  was  his 
title)  then  < >rdered  tlie  !ev\  in;.;  of  two  new  lej^ions, 
and  of  a  force  which  v\a-  to  (U'fend  t!i'-  ''!t\-  and  man 
the  lleet.  lie  also  tlirccled  tli.il  e\er\ihinj/  in  the 
line  of  Ilannihars  marcli   shouhl   ht '  <h  !.      Tlie 

Carthaj^inians  were  t*)  find  nothiri!^^  but  a  desert 
wheiL...    the\'  came.     He  then   marclied   north.     At 


'   Books  of  prophet 
sold  to  Tartiuiniiis  It: 
in  the  temple  of  Jui'iicr . 
of  the  Stale.     Sec  "'Ilu 


!  to  have  IxM-n  \'  Iiy  "nr  "f  tlx-  Sil»v!<. 

ifih  kii  ,ifn.i  a.;  i 

•n^ultcd  in  a;  ■'.  mjvd 


HAXMBAL   A   MASTER   OF  STRATAGEM,        213 


Ocricuhim  in  Umbria  he  met  ServiHns.  who  w^as  on 
his  wax-  to  Rome,  and  took  over  his  lei;ions  from  him. 
Servihus  he  sent  to  command  the  fleet,  which  was 
lHM"n<r  .i(,t  R'ady  at  Ostia  for  the  defence  of  the  Italian 
sea-.  He  liim>elf,  with  an  army  numbering  about 
tift\-  thousand  men,  followed  in  pursuit  of  the 
inemy.  Hannibal  found  that  he  gained  no  friends  in 
At^nlia,  and  marched  westward  into  Samnium,  which, 
iev^  ilian  a  hundred  \ears  Ix-fore,  had  been  the  fiercest 
enem\-  of  Rome.  But  here  again  he  met  with  n6 
-lit  in  making  strife  between  Rome  and  its  allies. 

1  le  mo\('d  ( )n  into  what  was,  perhaps,  the  very  richest 
I)art  of  Ital)-,  the  great  Falernian  plain,  where  wines 
Wire  urow  n  that  were  to  become  famous  over  all  the 
world.  Fabius  still  followed  him,  watching  every 
nioxement,  cutting  off  stragglers,  and  harassing  him 
in  every  w  ay  that  he  could  devise,  but  always  refusing 
a  l).ittle.  When  lie  saw  his  enemy  below  him  in  the 
I  idernian  plain— for  I'abius  kept  his  ow^n  army  on  the 

hills he  b(^lieved  tl'.tt  lie  had  him  in  a  trap.     To  the 

north,  the  i)ah.^e^  uiu»  Hatium  and  the  way  to  Rome 
were  barred  :  the  sea  was  in  front  of  him  ;  and  to  the 
>outh  the  deei)  stream  of  the  Volturnus.  On  the  cast 
the  hills,  witii  their  passes  held  b}-  Roman  troops, 
-eemed  to  shut  off  his  escape.  Then  Hannibal  showed 
what  a  master  of  stratagem  he  wms.  He  not  only 
escaped,  but  carried  off  the  booty  which  he  had 
collected.  His  plan  was  this.  About  two  thousand 
oxen  were  clio>en  out  of  the  vast  herds  which  had 
been  collected  out  of  the  plundered  districts.  To 
their  horns  were  listened  bundles  of  dry  twigs.  Then 
one  daw  as  the  du>k  of  evening  came  on,  he  silently 


2 1^ 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


struck  his  camp,  and  moved  eastward  towards  the 
hills,  the  oxen  being  driven  a  little  in  front  of  the 
vanguard.  When  the  army  reached  the  foot  of  the 
hills  it  was  dark  ;  and  then  Hannibal  ordered  the 
bundles  to  be  lighted.  The  drivers  of  the  oxen 
started  them  up  the  slope  of  the  hills  ;  the  animals, 
maddened  by  fear  and  pain— for  the  light  flashed  all 
about  them,  and  the  heat  reached  the  flesh  at  the 
roots  of  their  horns — rushed  wildly  on.  The  four 
thousand  Romans  who  had  been  posted  to  guard  the 
principal  pass  were  dismayed  at  the  sight.  What  it 
meant  they  could  not  understand  ;  but  that  it  meant 
danger  they  were  sure.  Probably  they  fancied  that 
they  were  being  surrounded — for  this  is  always  the 
first  fear  of  all  but  the  very  best  and  bravest  troops. 
Anyhow  they  left  their  post,  and  made  for  the  heights. 
Fabius,  in  his  camp,  saw  the  strange  sight,  and  was 
equally  puzzled  ;  nor  did  he  venture  out  till  it  was 
light.*  Meanwhile  Hannibal  had  quietly  marched 
his  army  through  the  |)ass,  taking  all  his  plunder  with 
him,  and  pitched  his  canqj  next  day  at  Allif.e,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  hills.  Fabius  followed  him.  He 
marched  northwards  through  Samnium,  as  far  as  the 
country  of  the  I*eligni,  ravaging  as  he  went.  Fabius 
still  moved  along,  keeping  his  ami)-  between  him 
and  Rome. 


*  **Thi^    •  of  Livy,"  says  \ithuhr,  *'  represents  the  Romans  in  a 

foolish  light,  ihe  truth  is  uM  by  rolvlmis.  Nothing  was  mote  com- 
mon  among  the  ancients  than  the  n.arch  by  n.ght  wth  lantern.  ;  and 
when  the  Roman  outposts  saw  the  lights  l>etween  themselves  and  the 
unoccupied  district,  they  thought  thai  the  Carthaginians  were  forcing 
their  way,  and  quickly  adv^>^  !  towards  the  supposed  danger  to  shut 
Ihe  road  against  the  enen»>      ,  ^ecture  Ixxiv.). 


FABIUS   AND   MINUCIUS. 


215 


The  effect  of  Hannibal's  escape  was  twofold.     Not 
only  did  he  get  out  of  a   difficult  position,  carrying 
the  greater  part    of  his    plunder    with    him,    but  he 
made  it  very  hard  for  Fabius  to  carry  out  his  policy 
of  delay.     This  policy  of  course  had  many  enemies. 
The  allies,  who  saw  their  country   ravaged  without 
being  able  to  strike  a  blow  for  it,  were  furious  ;  and 
the  wealthy  Romans,  whose  estates  were  suffering  in 
the  same  way,  were  loud  in  their  complaints.     And 
Hannibal's  cunning  plan  of  leaving    Fabius'  estates 
untouched,  while  all    the    neighbourhood    was  plun- 
dered, increased  their  anger.     This  change  of  feeling 
soon  became  evident.     Fabius  had  to  go  to  Rome  on 
business  for  a  time,  and  left  his  army  in  the  charge  of 
Minucius,  Master  of  the  Horse  (this  was  the  title  of 
the  Dictator's  second-in-command  ,  with  strict  orders 
not  to  fight.     Minucius  did  fight,  and  won  something 
like  a  little  victory.     When  news  of  his  success  came 
to   Rome,   the   opponents   of   Fabius    persuaded  the 
people  to  divide  the  army,  and  give  the  command  of 
one  half  to  the   Dictator,  and  of  the  other  to  the 
Master  of  the  Horse. 

There  were  now  two  Roman  armies  encamped 
about  a  mile  apart.  Hannibal,  who  knew  what 
had  happened,  immediately  took  advantage  of  the 
situation.  Minucius,  if  he  wished  to  satisfy  his  friends 
was  bound  to  fight,  and  Hannibal  soon  gave  him 
what  looked  like  a  favourable  opportunity.  He  occu- 
pied some  rising  ground  between  his  own  camp  and 
that  of  the  Romans  with  what  looked  like  a  small 
force.  The  Romans  hastened  to  dislodge  it.  But 
there  were  five  thousand  men  in  ambush,  who,  when 


2l6 


THE    STORY   OF   CARrilAOi:. 


the  fi^c^htin*'-  h:](\  fx-cn  ^u unit;  <>ii  for  --omu'  time,  fell 
upoti  the  k')iuaii  i^^cii.  'l'his^..v.  >...\.  and  rmr^tHrT 
('■rent  disji^ter  wouM  have  been  the  result,  hau  hdI 
Fabiiis,  uii  'ii  tli<         'd\,  led  (mt  liis  troops,  and 

chan"cd  the  tf.rtiinrs  of  the  daw  Attn  all  nc  i^reat 
harm  ua>  u«mii„,  .uid  tlu-re  w  .i>  thi>  :-;"<»d  result,  that 
Minucius  con  A s^cd  liis  ern  u*,  and  uj)  hi^  com- 

mand. The  rest  of  the  year  pasMil  without  an\' 
further   disaster^.   r\re|)t    tliat    tlie    Consul    Serviliiis, 

landini!    «»n    the    <,i.i>t    of    .\tVna,   .md    i ,.....^   ilie 

countr>',  was  ked  1)\'  tlie   I ■artlia;^inians,  and   lost 

a  t lion  sand  men. 

Hannibal  s|)ent  the  winter  ,r  t  .t mnium,  in  tlie 
north  ( )f  Apuli.i.  It  u.l-  .i  ii,- .m.Mintuis  <  (.untr)-  ;  and 
it  was  close  to  thr  (  1  lii^  l>'H't  "'  Apulia,   indeed. 

is  like  an  elbow  i)rojectin:4  out  into  the  Adriati- 
I fe  had  ami)le  su|>i»Iies.  and  li-  -  m  i  ommunication 
witli  Cartilage.  Frol).d»l\'  new  th-is  were  'tit  lo 
him.  Anv'how,  when  the  next  \ear  eamc  (Jio  lu 
w; IS  stroni^cr  than  ever.  It  was  late  in  the  sprin;^^ 
when  betook  the  field,  ffis  fir-t  m«'\tinent  was  to 
march  round  tlie  iv-'iium  .uii.;,  uhieli  h.ul  bi en 
watehin;:,^  him  duriiii:  tlu"  winter,  and  to  '  a  i;reat 
ma-a/ine   of  stores   which    the  i\     hati   collected. 

It  wa>  -till  In's  |)olic\-  to  |»i-o\<>]c  them  te)  flight  a 
battle,  and  tins  .suecesslul  miHtn^iit  helped  him. 
The  Romans  had  gathered  a  iMcit  lorce.  l)Ut  foimd  it 
d  i  fti  cult  t(  >  feed  i  t .  'i '  1 1  e  \  ■  w  <  i  c  a !  i  a  i  d .  t  >  *> .  I  c  s  t  t  h  e  \' 
should  lose  their  allie<.  if  llu  >■  allowc-d  Hannibal  to 
march  up  and  down  throui^h  lt.i!\  and  plunder  a.s  he 
|)leased.  And  the  iMit\  <>f  tii;htini^  had  liad  a  great 
success  at  tlic  elections.     C.   lerentius  \'ai .    ,   a  man 


VARRO   AND   PAULLUS  IN   COMMAND. 


2,17 


of  the  people,  after  loudly  proclaiming  that  the  nobles 
were  prolonging  tlie  wiir  for  their  own  purposes, 
had  been  chosen  Consul  b}'  an  immense  majority. 
It  was  resolved  to  fight,  but  not  to  do  so  till  the 
newl\-devied  legions  should  have  joined  the  army  of 
the  }car  before.  This  was  done  about  the  beginning 
of  June  ;  and  the  whole  army,  now  numbering  about 
m'net)- thousand  men.  marched  in  pursuit  of  Hannibal, 
who  was  oatlicring  in  the  earl\-  harvests  on  the  sea- 
board  of  A|)ulia.  Hie  two  consuls  (A\arro's  colleague 
Was  a  nol)le,  Tanilius  Taullus  1)\  name  had  command 
on  alternate  da\s.  Timilius,  an  experienced  soldier, 
w.is  (ioubtful  of  the  result  of  a  l)attle,  and  anxious  to 
put  it  off.  X'arro,  on  the  other  hand,  was  confident 
and  eager,  and  on  liis  first  dav  of  command  brought 
matters  to  a  crisis  by  taking  up  a  position  between 
Hannibal  and  the  sea. 


!) 


'!i 


HANNIBAL'S  ARMY. 


219 


mm 


CANNiC. 


The  great  battle  was  still  delayed  for  a  few  days. 
But  when  Hannibal's  cavalry  cut  off  the  Roman 
watering -parties  from  the  river,  and  left  the  army 
without  water  at  the  very  height  of  an  Italian  summer, 
the  impatience  of  the  soldiers  could  not  be  restrained. 
On  the  morning  of  the  ist  of  August/  Varro,  who 
that  day  was  in  command,  hoisted  on  his  tent  the  red 
flag  as  a  signal  of  battle.  He  then  ordered  the  army 
to  cross  the  river  Aufidus,  and  to  draw  up  their  lines 
on  the  right  bank.  I lannibal  at  once  took  up  the 
challenge,  and  fording  the  stream  at  two  places,  drew 
up  his  army  opposite  to  the  enemy.  His  army  was 
but  half  as  large  ;  if  he  should  be  defeated  his  doom 
was  certain  ;  but  he  was  confident  and  cheerful. 
Plutarch  tells  us  a  story— one  of  the  very  few  which 
show  us  something  of  the  man  rather  than  of  the 
general— of  his  behaviour  on  the  morning  of  the  battle. 
He  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  soldiers  whose 
spirits  rise  in  danger,  and  who  become  cheerful,  and 
even  gay,  when  others  are  most  serious.  "  One  of  his 
chief  officers,  Gisco   by  name,  said  to  him:  'I  am 

'  The  Roman  reckoning  was  six  or  seven  weeks  in  advance  of  the 
real  year,  and  the  time  was  really  alx)ui  midsummer. 


astonished  at  the  numbers  of  the  enemy/  Hannibal 
smiled  and  said  :  '  Yes,  Gisco  ;  but  there  is  something 
more  wonderful  still.'  '  What  is  that  ? '  said  he.  *  That 
though  there  are  so  many  of  them,  not  one  of  them  is 
called  Gisco.'  The  answer  was  so  unexpected  that 
everybody  laughed.'^  And  he  goes  on  to  tell  us  that 
the  Carthaginians  were  mightily  encouraged  to  see 
this  confident  temper  in  their  chief. 

The  Aufidus,  bending  first  to  the  south,  and  then 
again,  after  flowing  nearly  eastward  for  a  short  dis- 
tance, to  the  north,  makes  a   loop.     This  loop  was 
occupied  by  } lannibal's  army.     The   left   wing  con- 
sisted of  eight  thousand  heavy  cavalry,  Spaniards  and 
Gauls.      I lasdrubal    fwho    must    not   be   confounded 
with   Hannibal's  brother  of  the  same  name)  was  in 
command.    They  had  the  river  on  their  left  flank  and 
on  their  right.     Behind    them    was    one    half  of  the 
African  infantry.     "  One  might  have  thought  them  a 
Roman  army,"  says  Livy,  "for  Hannibal  had  armed 
them  with  the  spoils  of  Trebia  and  Trasumennus." 
Next  in  the  line,  but  somewhat  in  advance  so  as  to 
be  about  on   a   level   with   tho    heavy  cavalry,    were 
posted   the  Spanish   and   Gallic   infantry,  with  their 
companies  alternately  arranged,  and  under  the  imme- 
diate command  of  Hannibal  himself  and  his  brother 
Mago.     These  troops  were  still  armed  in  their  native 
fashion.      The    Spaniards    wore   white   linen   tunics, 
dazzlingly  bright,  and  edged  with  purple.    Their  chief 
weapon   was  the  sword  which   they  used,  of  a  short 
and  handy  size,  and  with  which  they  were  acci.stomed 
to   thrust   rather   than    strike.     Nevertheless   it    was 
fitted  for  a  blow,  for  it  had,  of  course,  an  edge.     The 


i 


229 


77//.    STORY    OI     ClRTHACsh. 


THE    STRUGGLE. 


221 


( ,aiils  w  r-f  nnl.-rd  frr>rn  thr  fitiK  upwards.  The  )•  used 
very  Ion  iiu^,  wiiIp-ui  a  |nMnt.       l^olli  liad  ohlcM;^ 

shields,  and  botli  cd  to  tlie  R  is  .uid  Italians, 

uiiosc  stature  seldom  i  d  the  a\.  lur^ht  of 

men,  t( >  be  ahnnst  "iaiits  in  ^i/c      Still  further  to  the 

riL''lit.  but   thr</v\ii    o.u iv   -<'iu'\\hat   - » <   .i^  to  l*''  * »n  a 

level  with  their  countr\'iiuii  < ui  tlie  left  win  *  )od 
the  ollu'r  half  of  llie  African  infantr)'.  And  then  on 
the  extreme  ri;j:fit  win-  of  tlie  whole  arin\,  wni'  the 
African  li^Iit  hoi-inu  n  imder  the  v.>nun.ind  of  Mai^o. 
Thc^c.  to  use  tlie  military  pln-ase,  "reeled  U}.on 
iiotliii  that  i^,  they  h;id  nothin;^   to  >ui)i)ort  their 

riifht  flank.  'IIutc  wcic  l)ut  two  tliousand  of  tliem, 
for  thcv  had  had  r^oiuv  <»f  the  liaiv..  .i  of  tlie  ti^^duint; 
since  the  armv  had  eiUtred  Ital\-  ;  but  tluy  were  con- 
hderit  of  victor)'.  Tlie  whole  arin\-  numlxini  fifty 
the )usand,  but  ten  thousand  liad  been  detached  to 
guard  the  cami).  1  he  ri-lit  v^m-..^  of  the  enem>-  con- 
sisted of  the  Roman  1.  ,  who  thus  fronted  the 
heavv'  ca\alrv'  of  Carth.i  next   to  these  cjune  the 

infantix' ( >f  the  lr"inn^.  niorc  than  <e\'ent\'  tlKnisiUid 
stron;^,  \c 't  drawn  u|j  la  -m •  m  u  i  ah  aiiay  in  column, 
in  fact,  rather  than  in  lii  'liat  tlie>-  did  not  overlai) 
the  far  smaller  force  of  their  ad  On  the  left 

win""  were  |><-tcd  the  c;ivalr\'  of  the  allies.  It  was 
here  that  \  aircj  Luunihuuled.  I'iiullus  was  on  the 
right  of  the  arm\'.  The  whole  force  numbered  about 
eighty  tliousantl,  allowini;  f.  ^r  th( ■  di  tachment  which 
had  been  told  off  to  guard  tlie  (-nm|).  Their  forces 
were  turned  to  the  south.  Tliis  \\a->  a  great  disad- 
vantage to  them,  not  so  mucli  on  accotmt  of  the  glare 
of  the  sun.  for  it  was  \-et  earl\   in  the  da\',  but  because 


the  hot  wind,  whicli  the  countr)-  people  called  Vul- 
turnus.  rolled  such  clouds  of  dust  in  their  faces  that 
tlu;y  could  scarce!}'  see  what  lay  before  them. 

The  battle  be-an  as  usual  with  the  skirmishers. 
Here  the  Cartliaginians  had  the  advantage.  The 
slingers  from  the  Balearic  islands  ^  were  more  expert 
and  effective  than  any  of  the  Roman  light-armed 
troops.  The  showers  of  stones  which  they  sent 
among  the  legions  did  much  damage,  wounding 
severel)',  among  otliers,  the  Consul  Paullus.  Then 
the  heav\--armed  cavalrv  of  Carthage  charged  the 
Roman  horse  that  was  ranged  over  airainst  them. 
'i'lu-  Romans  were  some  of  the  bra\est  and  best  born 
of  their  nation  ;  but  they  were  inferior  in  numbers,  in 
the  wei-h.t  of  men  and  horses,  and  in  their  equip- 
ment. Ihev  wore  no  cuirasses  ;  their  shields  were 
weak  ;  their  s})ea! s  were  easily  broken.  Probably 
the)'  had  no  si)ecial  skill  in  cavalry  tactics  ;  had  they 
])Osses>ed  it,  there  was  no  op|)()rtunity  of  showing  it, 
for  there  was  no  room  to  manceuvre.  It  was  a  fierce 
hand-to-hand  light  ;  man)-  of  the  Spaniards  and 
(iauls  leapt  to  the  ground,  and  dragged  their  opponents 
from  their  horses. 

In  the  centre  of  the  field  where  the  Roman  legions 
met  the  (lallic  and  S|)anish  infantiy,  I lannibal  seemed 
for  a  time  to  be  less  successful.  lie  had  advanced 
tliese  troops  considerably  beyond  the  rest  of  his  line. 
When  charged  by  the  heavy  columns  of  the  enemy 
they  w  ere  forced  to  fall  back.     The  Romans  pressed 


■\, ' 


i.  Mnioirn.  and  Ivicn.  Tlie  it  a  dor  must  not  be  tempted  by 
tlie  I'lau^iliie  tleiivalioii  Irohi  llie  (iieek  ;i/\A(,Hl)alIo),  to  throw  or 
strike.     The  name  sl(  tns  to  have  been  'lerivecl  from  soaic  form  of  Baal, 


2/>  'Off' 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


WILL   HE  MARCH  ON  ROME  ? 


223 


on  in  a  dense  and  unmanageable  mass.  And  in  what 
seemed  the  moment  of  victory  they  found  themselves 
assailed  on  both  flanks  and  in  the  rear.  On  either 
side  the  two  bodies  of  African  infantry,  who  had 
hitherto  taken  no  part  in  the  battle,  fell  upon  them. 
Almost  at  the  same  time  came  Hasdrubal  with  his 
heavy  horsemen.  After  routing  the  Roman  cavalry 
of  the  right  wing,  he  had  charged  that  of  the  allies 
upon  the  left.  These  had  been  already  thrown  into 
confusion  by  the  stealthy  attack  of  five  hundred 
Africans,  who  had  pretended  to  surrender,  but  came 
up  in  the  critical  moment  and  hamstrung  their  hor>c<. 
Hasdrubal  completed  their  rout,  and  leaving  the 
Africans  to  pursue  the  fugitives,  charged  the  rear  of 
the  Roman  infantry.  These  were  now  surrounded 
on  all  sides,  for  the  Gauls  and  Spaniards  in  their 
front  had  rallied,  and  checked  their  advance.  Upon 
this  helpless  mass  the  Carthaginians  used  their  swords 
till  they  were  fairly  weary  of  slaying.  How  many 
men  lay  dead  upon  the  field  when  darkness  came  on 
it  is  impossible  to  say.  Polybius  gives  the  number 
at  seventy  thousand,  and  he  is  probably  a  better 
authority  than  IJvy,  who  reduces  it  to  fifty  thousand. 
Among  them  were  one  of  the  consuls,  the  ex-consul 
Servilius,  twenty-one  military  tribunes  (officers  of  a 
rank  about  equal  to  that  of  a  coloner,  and  eighty 
members  of  the  Senate.  Varro  had  fled  from  the 
field  with  seventy  horsemen.  Hannibal's  loss  was 
something  under  six  thousand. 

The  question  was,  "What  was  he  to  do.^"  He 
had  destroyed  the  enemy*s  army,  for  even  the  force 
left  to  guard  the  camps  had  surrendered,  and  there 


was  no  other  army  in  the  field.  Most  of  his  officers, 
while  they  crowded  round  to  congratulate  him, 
advised  him  to  give  himself  and  his  army  some  rest. 
Maharbal,  who  was  in  chief  command  of  the  cavalry, 
thought  otherwise.  "  Do  you  know,"  he  said,  "  what 
you  have  done  by  this  day's  victory?  I  will  tell  you. 
I'our  days  hence  you  shall  be  supping  in  the  Capitol 
of  Rome.  Let  me  go  on  in  front  with  my  cavalry. 
They  must  know  that  I  have  come  before  they  know 
tliat  I  am  coming."  Hannibal  was  not  so  sanguine. 
He  praised  Maharbal's  zeal,  but  must  take  time  to 
con  ider  so  grave  a  matter.  Then  Maharbal  broke 
out :  "  I  see  that  the  gods  do  not  give  all  their  gifts  to 
one  man.  Hannibal,  you  have  the  secret  of  victory, 
but  not  the  secret  of  using  it." 

It  will  never  be  decided  whether  Hannibal,  with 
his  cautious  policy,  or  the  bold  Maharbal  was  in  the 
right.  But  one  is  disposed  to  believe  that  so  skilful 
a  general,  one,  too,  who  was  not  wanting  in  boldness 
I  for  what  could  be  bolder  than  this  whole  march  into 
Italy?),  knew  what  could  and  what  could  not  be  done 
better  than  anybody  else.  He  could  not  hope  to 
succeed  unless  the  allies  of  Rome  deserted  her,  and 
he  had  to  wait  and  see  whether  this  would  happen. 
Till  he  was  sure  of  it  he  could  not,  we  may  well 
believe,  aflbrd  to  risk  an  advance.  One  defeat  would 
have  been  fatal  to  him.  It  would  have  been  almost 
as  fatal  to  sit  down  in  vain  before  the  walls  of  Rome, 
l^ut,  however  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  the  op- 
portunity, if  it  was  an  opportunity,  never  came  back 
to  him.  He  did  indeed  come  near  to  Rome,  as  I 
shall  have  to  tell  hereafter,  but  this  was  a  feint  rather 


Tllh    hlLikV   ('/-    (  Ak  I  ti.n,l. 


than  a  serious  att;i  '       Tfiat  midsinnmcr  day  in  the 
V'car  216  sa-A  llir  In 'k  iiit  wiiich  the   fortunes  of 

*  » 

Cartha'jc  rvr-r  nai  bed.     Tfifn  fm!'/.  if  ox'en   then,  she 


XL 


AFTER   CANNiE. 

The  victory  of  Cannae  had  great  results,  though  it 
did  not  make  Hannibal  feel  strong  enough  to  strike 
a  blow  at  Rome.  First  and  foremost  among  these 
results  was  the  alliance  of  Capua,  the  second  city  in 
Jtal)'.  The  Capuans,  indeed,  were  not  all  of  one  mind 
in  the  matter.  It  was  the  people  that  favoured 
Cartilage  ;  the  nobles  were  for  the  most  part  inclined 
to  Rome.  It  was  a  noble,  however,  and  one  who  was 
married  to  a  lady  of  the  great  Roman  house  of 
Claudius,  that  took  the  lead  in  this  movement.  The 
people  rose  against  the  Senate,  stripped  it  of  its 
power,  massacred  a  number  of  Roman  citizens  who 
were  sojournmg  in  the  town,  and  sent  envoys  to 
invite  Hannibal  to  their  city.  He  was  of  course 
delighted  to  come  ;  Capua,  which  had  more  than 
thirty  thousand  soldiers  of  her  own,  was  almost  as 
great  a  gain  as  the  victory  at  Cannae.  He  was  near 
to  being  assassinated,  indeed,  on  the  night  of  his 
entering  the  city,  for  the  son  of  his  entertainer  had 
resolved  to  stab  him  at  the  dinner-table.  The  next 
day  he  was  present  at  a  meeting  of  the  Senate.  He 
v.as  full  of  promises;  he  undertook  that  Capua  should 
thereafter   be   the  capital   of  Italy.     Meanwhile  he 


^si\} 


MAGO  AT  CARTHAGE. 


227 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


demanded  that  a  leading  citizen  who  had  been 
specially  active  on  the  Roman  side  should  be  given 
up  to  him.  The  man  was  arrested,  and  was  sent  by 
Hannib.'il  to  Carthage. 

The  L^rcater  part  of  Central  and  Southern  Italy 
followed  tlif>  cxam[)le  of  Capua.  AH  the  Samnites, 
with  tfu  L  .\C('i)ti()ii  (>(  a  sin^^itj  tribe,  revolted  from 
Rome  ;  so  did  l.ucania  and  Hruttii,  and  so  did  many 
of  the  Greek  cities  in  the  south,  the  chief  among  them 
being  Crotona.  These  cities  had  passed  the  height 
of  their  prosperity,  but  they  were  still  populous  and 
powerful  towns. 

It  was  only  the  extraordinary  tenacity  and  courage 
of  Rome  that  enabled  her  to  hold  out.  The  Senate 
never  lost  its  courage,  and,  after  the  first  panic  was 
over,  the  peoi)le  were  ready  to  stand  by  their  rulers  to 
the  last.  When  Varro,  whose  rashness  and  folly  had 
almost  ruined  his  (fmntry.  returned  to  Rome,  the 
Senate  went  out  to  meet  him,  and  publicly  thanked 
him  that  he  "had  not  despaired  of  the  commonwealth." 
As  he  was  of  the  opposite  party  in  politics,  this  was  a 
way  of  saying  that  all  Romans,  whatever  their  way 
of  thinking,  must  join  toi;ether  to  made  the  best  of 
everything.  Nothing  that  could  be  done  to  raise  an 
army  was  neglected.  Bands  of  brigands  were  induced 
to  enlist  by  promises  of  pardon  for  past  offences  ; 
even  slaves  were  recruited.  As  manv  as  eight  thou- 
sand soldiers  were  gained  in  this  way.  But  when  a 
proposal  came  from  Hannibal  that  the  prisoners  of 
Cannae  should  be  ransomed,  the  horsemen  at  £17, 
the  infantry  at  i^io  each,  the  offer  was  refused.  By 
great  exertions  an  army  was  raised,  and  put  under 


the  command  of  Marcellus,  who  was  probably  the 
best  soldier  that  Rome  possessed  at  the  time. 

Hannibal  had  sent  his  brother  Mago  to  Carthage 
from  the  battle-field  of  CanncX\  Introduced  into  the 
Senate,  he  gave  a  glowing  account  of  what  had  been 
done,  of  the  four  victories  which  had  been  gained,  of 
the  two  hundred  thousand  men  that  had  been  slain, 
the  fifty  thousand  that  had  been  taken  prisoners.  As 
a  practical  proof  of  the  truth  of  his  story,  he  poured 
out  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate-house  a  peck  of  gold 
rings  which  had  been  taken,  he  said,  from  Roman 
soldiers  that  had  been  slain  in  battle.  It  was  only 
the  horsemen,  indeed  only  the  upper  class  of  the 
horsemen,  he  explained,  that  were  accustomed  to 
wear  them.  But  the  practical  conclusion  of  his  speech 
was  a  demand  for  help.  "  The  nearer  the  prospect," 
he  said,  "  of  finishing  the  war,  the  more  you  are  bound 
to  support  your  general.  He  is  fighting  far  away 
from  home.  Pay  is  wanted  for  troops  ;  provisions 
are  hard  to  obtain.  And  though  he  has  won  great 
victories,  he  has  not  won  them  without  some  loss. 
He  asks,  therefore,  for  help  in  men,  money,  and  stores." 

The  war-party  was  delighted.  One  of  them  turned 
to  Hanno,  leader  of  the  opposite  faction,  and  asked 
him,  "  Does  Hanno  still  repent  of  having  made  war 
on  Rome?"  "Yes,"  replied  Hanno,  "I  still  repent, 
and  shall  do  so  till  I  see  peace  made  again.  Your 
invincible  general  makes  as  great  demands  upon  you 
as  if  he  had  been  beaten.  And  as  for  his  prospects 
for  the  future,  has  any  Latin  city  joined  him  ?  Has 
a  single  man  of  the  thirty-five  tribes  of  Rome  deserted 
to  him  ? ' 


' 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

To  these  questions  Micjo  could  only  answer  "  No  !  " 
I lanno  askt mI  a<4ain,  *'  I  las  Rome  -aid  a  word  about 
peace?"  Maj^^o  could  only  answer  tliat  it  had  not. 
Then  said  Ilanno.  "  \\*c  arc  as  far  off  from  the  end  of 
the  war  as  we  were  when  Hannibal  crossed  into  Italy. 
I  vote  that  no  hcli)  she >uld  be  sent  to  prolong  a  war 
which  can  have  no  ^^ood  end." 

This  protest,  of  course,  was  usel*"^-  The  Senate 
resolved  to  send  four  thousand  African  troo[>s,  forty 
elephants,  antl  a  sum  of  money.  And  Mago  was  to 
<:^o  into  Spain  and  raise  20,CX)0  tro()|)N  to  fill  up  the 
^tjr^  HI  the  armies  there  and  in  Italv.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  little  was  done  ;  at  tliis  crisis  the  Cartiia^nnian 
l^.( A ernment  showed  but  little  ener  md  ll.innibal 
was  left,  for  the  most  part,  to  hel|)  himself. 

The  winter  of  216  5  he  aiid  lii^  army  s[)cnt  in 
Capua.  Ever  since  he  h.'id  started  from  New  Carthage, 
more  than  two  years  before,  his  men  had  li\'ed  in 
tents,  sat  i  s  fi  ed  w  i  t  h  t  li  c  h  a  n  1  d  i  sc  i  p  1  i  n  e  an  <  1  s  c  ant  y  fa  re 
of  the  camp.  Doubtless,  they  had  lo^i  >vaiic tiling  of 
their  vigour  by  the  time  that  they  took  the  held 
again;  but  there  were  other  and  ueiglitier  re.isons 
wliy  Haiinibars  great  plans  should  end  in  fiihn-o  th.m 
that  his  army  was  spoilt  by  the  luxury  of  a  w inter  ui 
Capua. 

In  the  next  vear  little  was  done.  I lannibal  gained 
some  small  succc-.  ^.  and  met  with  some  small  losses. 
i lis  chief  venture  had  been  the  siege  of  Xola,  which, 
after  Capua,  w  as  the  chief  cit>'  of  C 'ampania.  In  this  he 
failed,  owing  chiefly  to  the  skill  and  energ\'  of  Mar- 
cell  us.  To  have  let  a  year  pass  uitliout  making  a 
decided  advance  was  in  fact  to  fall  back.     Still  his 


HAWIBAL'S   PROSPECTS, 


229 


prospects  in  some  directions  had  improved.  At 
Syracuse  the  wise  old  King  Hiero,  who  had  continued 
to  be  loyal  to  Rome,  without  making  an  enemy  of 
Carthage,  wa>  dead.  Hieronymus,  his  grandson  and 
successor,  was  a  foolish  youth,  who  thought  he  could 
do  better  for  himself  by  joining  what  seemed  to  be 
the  winning  side.  He  offered  his  help  to  Carthage, 
asking  as  the  price  the  supremacy  over  the  whole  of 
Sicily.  Philip,  King  of  Macedon,  again,  seemed  ready 
to  join  an  alliance  against  Rome.  Little  advantage, 
however,  was  gained  in  this  way.  Of  what  happened 
to  Hieronymus  I  shall  soon  have  to  speak.  Philip's 
action  w  as  delayed,  first  b\'  the  accident  of  his  envoys 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Romans  as  they  were  on 
their  way  back  from  Hannibal's  camp,  and  afterwards 
by  causes  which  we  have  no  means  of  explaining. 
Anyhow,  at  the  time  when  his  help  would  have  been 
most  valuable  to  Hannibal  and  most  damaging  to 
Rome,  he  did  nothing. 

On  the  other  hand,  Carthage  suffered  a  great  loss  in 
the  complete  conquest  by  their  enemies  of  the  island 
of  Sardinia,  which  had  again  fallen  into  their  hands. 
On  the  whole,  at  the  end  of  215  Hannibal,  though  he 
had  received  no  .serious  check  in  the  field,  was  in  a 
much  worse  position  than  he  had  been  in  at  the 
begin  nmg. 

The  next  year  also  (214;  had  much  the  same  result. 
Hannibal  made  an  attempt  to  seize  Tarentum,  but 
fiiiled.  There  were  in  this  town,  as  elsewhere,  a 
Carthaginian  and  a  Roman  party.  The  latter  got  to 
know  what  their  opponents  were  planning,  and  took 
such  precautions,  that  when  Hannibal  appeared  before 


230 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


the  walls  of  the  city  he  found  it  prepared  for  defence ; 
and  after  vainly  lingering  in  the  neighbourhood  for  a 
few  days,  was  obliged  to  depart.  In  another  part  of 
Southern  Italy  he  suffered  a  serious  loss.  I  Ianno,one 
of  his  lieutenants,  had  raised  a  force  of  twenty  thousand 
Lucanians.  This  was  defeated  at  Beneventum  by  the 
Roman  general  Gracchus,  who  was  in  command  of  an 
army  of  slaves.  I lanno's  I.ucanian  infantry  either 
perished  on  the  field  of  battle,  or  dispersed  to  their 
own  homes  ;  but  he  escaped  himself  with  about  a 
thousand  African  cav.ilrv. 

The  next  great  event  of  the  war— its  exact  date 
is  uncertain^was  a  great   gain    to    I lannibal.     The 
friends  of  Carthage  in  Tarentum,  though  overpowered 
for  the  moment,  had  never  given  up  their  plans  ;  and 
now  they  found  an  oi)portunity  for  carrying  them  out. 
The  city  had   sent  hostages  to   Rome.     These   had 
attempted  to  escape,  had  been  captured,  and  executed. 
This  act  of  cruelty  roused  their  fellow-citizens  to  fury  ; 
communications  were  at  once  opened  with  Hannibal, 
and  the  ringleaders  of  the  plot  were  not,  as  might  have 
been  supposed,  i)opular  leaders,  but  nobles-relatives 
it  is  probable,  of  the  unfortunate  hostages.     Hannibal 
marched  towards  the  town  with  a  picked  force  of  ten 
thousand  men,  and  halted  a  few  miles  off,  while  his 
friends  within  the  city  completed  their  preparations. 
One  party  was  told  off  to  deal  with   the  governor. 
a   Roman  of  the  house   of  Livius.      He   had   been 
giving  a  banquet  to  some  of  the  citizens  ;  the  con- 
spirators  paid   him  a  visit  after  it  was  over,  laughed 
and  joked  with  him,  and  finally  left  him  in  such  a 
state  that  they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  his  watchful- 


TARENTUM  GAINED. 


231 


ness.    Another  party  had  arranged  to  admit  Hannibal 
himself  by  a  gate  which  opened  out  of  the  quarter  of 
the  tombs,  which  in  Tarentum— we  might  almost  say 
alone  among  Greek  cities — were  within  the  walls.     A 
fire  signal  was  given  by  Hannibal  and  answered  by 
the  conspirators.     The  latter  fell  upon  the  guards  of 
the    gate,    and     Hannibal    was    at    hand    outside   to 
support  them.     A  third  party  was  bu.sy  at  another  of 
the  gates.    They  had  been  accustomed  for  several  days 
to  go  out  on  what  seemed  to  be  hunting  parties,  to 
return  late  at  night,  to  talk  over  their  sport  with  the 
guard,  and  to  give  them  some  of  the  game.     On  this 
occasion  they  brought  back  with  them  a  particularly 
fine  wild  boar.     While  the  animal  was  actually  in  the 
passage  of  the  gate,  and  the  sentry  was  busy  admiring 
it,  thirty  African   soldiers,  who    had   been    stealthily 
approaching,    rushed    up,   cut    the    man    down,  and, 
securing  the  gate,  let  in  a  large  body  of  their  com- 
rades.     The  city  of  Tarentum    was  taken,  but   the 
citadel  was  hastily  secured  by  the  Roman   garrison. 
The  Tarentines  w^ere  not  harmed.     It  was  sufficient  if 
any  citizen  wrote  over  his  door,  "  This  is  aTarentine's 
house."     But  all  the  dwellings  in  which  Romans  had 
been  quartered  were  given  up  to  plunder. 


ATTEMPTED    REEIEF   OF   CAPUA. 


233 


XIL 


THE  TURN  OF  THE  TIDE. 


From  Trebia  to  Cann.i:  the  tide  of  success  rose 
with  Hannibal.  For  three  vcars  or  thereabouts  after 
Cann;e  it  may  be  said  to  have  remained  at  its  heij^ht. 
Ill         ;iiis    and    lo  about    balanced     each    other. 

This,  of  course,  rcallv  meant  that  his  chances  of 
victory  were  growing  less,  for  Iiis  was  an  enteri)rise  to 
which  delay,  even  without  defeat,  was  f  ital. 

In  212  the  tide  manifestly  turned.  The  Romans 
felt  themselves  strong  enough  to  besiege  Capua. 
The  city  was  already  in  distress  for  want  of  food  ;  for 
with  the  Roman  armies  so  near  the  rich  Campanian 
plains  could  not  be  cultivated.  And  Hannibal's  first 
attempt  to  provision  it  failed.  A  second  succeeded  ;  but 
shortly  after  the  place  was  regularly  invested.  Three 
Roman  armies  s;it  down  before  it,  and  then  drew  a 
complete  line  round  it  with  a  strong  rampart  and 
ditch,  and  with  forts  at  intervals.  The  townspeople 
were  not  strong  enough  to  make  sallies  uith  effect, 
and  all  that  thev  could  do  was  to  send  messenger 
after  messenger  to  I  lannibal,  begging  earnestly  for 
help,  if  he  did  not  wish  to  see  tliem  i)erish.  Farly  in 
the  year  211 — that  is,  after  the  sic^c  had  lasted  some 
months — he  made  a  determined  effort  to  relieve  the 


J 


city.  He  marched  rapidly  with  a  picked  force  from 
Tarentum,  where  the  citadel  was  still  holding  out 
against  him,  and  took  u})  a  position  on  Mount  Tifata, 
a  iiill  which,  uverlooked  the  city.  He  had  contrived 
to  w  arn  the  Capuans  of  his  coming,  arranging  that 
thc\-  sliould  make  a  sortie  from  their  walls  while  he 
w  as  attacking  one  of  the  camps  of  the  besiegers.  The 
>()rtie  was  easily  repulsed  ;  Hannibal's  attack  seemed 
di  one  time  likely  to  succeed,  but  ended  in  failure. 
I  lis  elephants — he  had  thirt\--three  of  these  animals 
with  him — forced  their  way  into  the  Roman  camp, 
and  made  great  havoc  with  the  tents,  while  they 
caused  a  stampede  among  the  hordes.  In  the  midst 
of  the  confusion  voices  were  licard  bidding  the 
Romans  make  the  best  of  their  way  to  the  )iills.  The 
camp,  tliev  ^.lid,  was  lost,  and  each  man  must  save 
himself  The  speakers  used  the  Latin  tongue,  and 
s})oke  in  the  name  of  the  consuls  ;  but  they  were 
really  I lannibals  men.  This  was  one  of  the  tricks 
with  which  this  great  general  was  always  so  ready. 
Ingenious  as  it  was,  it  does  not  seem  to  have  had 
much  effect. 

Then  he  tried  his  last  resource.  He  would  march 
on  Rome  itself  With  forces  so  large  engaged  in  this 
siege,  the  city  could  have  but  few  to  defend  it.  It 
w.is  possible  that  by  a  sudden  movement  he  might 
get  within  the  walls  ;  in  any  case  it  was  likely  that  a 
part  of  the  investing  force  would  be  withdrawn  for 
the  protection  of  the  capital.  The  Capuans  were 
informed  of  what  he  was  intending  to  do,  and  en- 
couraged to  hold  out.  Fie  made  his  way  through  the 
rich   wine- producing  region   of  Northern   Campania, 


234 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


ravaging  the  country  as  he  went.     At  FVcgellx  he 
iound    the   bridge  over  the   Lins  broken  down,   and 
lost  some  time  in  conseciueni  e      Crossing  into  I.atium, 
he  passed  throuj^h   the  town  of  Anagnia  to  Mount 
Algidus.     After  a  vain  attempt  to  seize  Tusculum,  he 
continued    his    ni.irch    northwards,    and    pitched    his 
camp    at    a    distance    of    eight    miles    from    Rome. 
Fulvius.  the  proconsul,  had  made  his  way  meanwhile 
from  Capua  with   a  force  of   fifteen  thousand    men. 
Marching   through  a  friendly  country,  and   findmg  all 
that  he   wanted  sui>i)lied  b>'  the  towns  through  which 
he  passed,  he  had    hcvn  able  to  (.ul>trii)  the  Cartha- 
ginian army.     Ncv.  iilieiess  the  terror  in  the  cit>-  was 
great.     The  women  crowded  to  the  temi)les.  and,  with 
their  !( )ng  hair  unbound,  threw  themselvis  before  the 
imagi-   of  the  gods  and    imj.lored   their  protection. 
The'ncxt  day  Ibmmbal  advanced   still  nearer  to  the 
walls.     I  le  pitched  his  cami)  on  the  bank  of  the  Anio, 
at  the  third   milestone  from  Rome  ,  and  then,  taking 
with   him   a   force   of  two  th..u>and.  cavalry,  rode  up 
and  reconnoitred   the  southern  u  all  of  the  city.     On 
the  morrow  he  crossed  the  Anio  with  his  whole  army, 
and  oflered   battle.     But  no  eng.i-cment  was  f^night. 
1  ivy  tells  us  a  st( >ry  of  how.  that  d.iy  and  the  ne.\t,so 
fierce  a  storm   of  ram   cam.    --n    iliat    neither   army 
could  keep  the  field,  the  weather  clearing  immeeliately 
when  they  returned    to  camp;    and   how    Hannibal 
exclaimed.  *'  Once  I  wanted  the  will  to  take  this  city, 
and  now  l' want  the  fortune."     WY^  are   told  that  he 
was  greatly  discouraged   by   two  i^roofs  of  the   indif- 
ference with  which  the  Romans  regarded  his  presence. 
Soldiers,  he  heard,  were  being   actually  sent   away 


CAPUA   LOST   TO  HANNIBAL. 


235 


from  the  city  to  reinforce  the  armies  in  Spain  ;  and 
the  very  land  on  which  he  had  pitched  his  camp  had 
easily  found  a  purchaser.  By  way  of  retort  to  this 
last  affront— for  so  he  is  said  to  have  regarded  it— he 
ordered  the  bankers'  shops  round  the  Roman  market- 
place to  be  put  up  to  auction.  But  he  found  that  his 
move  had  failed,  and  marched  back  to  Campania,  and 
from  thence  to  the  extreme  south  of  Italy. 

Capua,  thus  left  to  itself,  could  do  nothing  but  sur- 
render. Of  its  punishment  by  Rome  it  is  needless  to 
speak  in  detail.  The  nobles  were  executed  ;  the  rest 
of  the  population  sold  into  slavery.  In  a  play  that 
was  acted  at  Rome  some  twenty  years  afterwards  we 
find  a  brutal  jest  on  their  cruel  fate.  "  There,"  says 
one  of  the  characters,  speaking  of  some  unhealthy 
spot,  "  even  a  Syrian— and  the  Syrians  are  the  toughest 
of  slaves-  cannot  live  six  months."  "  Nay,"  says  the 
other,  ''  the  Campanians  have  learnt  by  this  time  to 
bear  more  than  the  Syrians." 

The  next  year  (210)  passed  with  little  incident,  as 
far  as  Italy  was  concerned  (I  shall  speak  of  Sicily  and 
Spain  hereafter).  The  Romans  had  never  been  able 
to  vanquish  Hannibal  in  the  open  field  ;  they  scarcely 
even  ventured  to  meet  him.  He  had  shown  that  he 
could  march  from  one  end  of  Italy  to  the  other  with- 
out hindrance,  and  that  he  could  send  his  plundering 
parties  up  to  the  very  walls  of  Rome  ;  but  he  had  not 
been  able  to  save  the  great  city  which  had  come  over  to 
him  ;  and  there  was  small  temptation  to  any  other  to 
join  him.  Not  only  was  Capua  a  great  actual  loss  to 
him,  but  the  fact  that  it  had  fallen  in  spite  of  all  his 
efforts  to  relieve  it  was  a  terrible  blow  to  his  reputa- 


2  >6 


77/ a:   sioiO'   '".//•• 


IlAdE. 


CARTHAGE    LOSES    SICILY. 


237 


ti<»n       [''"1-  all  his  ^kill  a^  a  j^i  ik Tal— -mikI  lh.-il  showed 
itself  ni'  '"'    rnnr.     a,    the   war  went  on  —  he  was 

c i c. I r  1 )'  \\  a n  L 1 1 1 L^  in  j )u u  c r. 

In    Sicil}',   tlie   crmr-i-   of  events  went   ac^ainst   the 
cause   (if  (.art]!  Hieronvinus,  the   foolish   youth 

^  iff 

who  had  sue fffird  t}i<-v\i.r'  nlf!  Ilicroiit  .S\racu>e, 
hiid  been  inunieied  aliei  .1  iti-u  ( )f  thirteen  months 
by  an  a-^-a^^in  wlio  protl>s( d  to  he  aetin^^  in  the 
niterests  of  Koine.  A  Miic^  of  dreatitul  acts  of 
cruelty  followed.  1 1'  r*  iko,  as  elsewlierc  the  p()[)ular 
I ).uty  lavouied  CaiLiui-r.  while  the  aiisivf^rats  were 
inclined  to  Rome,  .uul  there  \\a^  a  fierce  struj^gie 
between  them.  In  tlie  end  tin;  former  triumphed, 
and  Syracuse  liecame  the  all\-  of  ( 'arthage.  /\s  such 
it  was  besieged  1>\'  the  forces  of  Komc,  /\i)piu.s 
C'L'uidius  commiinding  the  ;irm\'  and  Marcel! us  the 
fleet.  The  nanat.vc  ^f  .1,.  sic,'..  c!„cs  not  fall  within 
the  -<o|)c  of  tliis  book.  'I"h<  -t'  •!)•  ( >f  how  the  defence 
was  i)rolonged  hv  tlie  engineermg  skill  of  Arcliimedes 
is  full  of  interest,  but  it  mav  l)e  found  elsewhere. 
The  efforts  wliicli  CartliaL'c  made  to  sa\"e  her  new 
ally  were  fruitless.  A  large  .irmv,  indeed,  was  col- 
lected under  1 1 im i Ici >.  a ru  1  this  was  rei n U n-ca I  from 
various  Sicilian  cities,  which  h.ul  l)een  em-aged  by  the 
sa\-age  cruelty  whicli  the    Romans  hail  shown  in  their 

treatment  of  such  p\.WA -as  fell  into  their  hands.      But 

the  '"  MH  lin(  uld  not  be  broken  ;  and  when 
Ilimilco  encamiied  outside  tliem,  intending,  it  is 
probable,  to  blockade  tliern  as  thev  were  blockading 
the  cit)'.  <i  pestilence  broke  out  ameing  his  Uvv-i'-s.  So 
fearful  were  its  ra^  s  that  the  arm\*  was  literally 
destroyed.       The  ileet   luukr   liomilcar  did  no  more. 


It  did  not  even  make  an  attempt  at  relieving  the 
cit\'.  Tliough  it  numbered  as  many  as  a  hundred 
and  thirtv  vessels  of  war,  it  declined  an  engagement 
with  the  Romans,  and  instead  of  attempting  to  enter 
the  harbour  of  Syracuse,  sailed  awa\'  to  Tarcntum. 
In  212  Sx'racuse  was  taken  by  Marcellus. 

Hannibal,  however,  was  not  willing  to  give  up  the 
island  as  lost.  He  sent  one  IMutines,  a  Liby- Phoeni- 
cian, or  half-caste  Carthaginian,  to  take  command  of 
the  forces  ;  and  Mutines,  fixing  his  headquarters  at 
Agrigentum,  carried  on  for  many  months  a  guerilla 
warfare.  Unfortunately  his  appointment  had  caused 
great  annoyance  to  the  pure-blood  Carthaginian 
officers  in  the  island,  especially  to  Hanno,  who  was  the 
commander-in-chief.  Manno  at  last  suspended  him, 
and  handed  over  the  command  to  his  own  son.  The 
loyalty  of  Mutines  did  not  stand  firm  under  such  pro- 
V()c<ition,  and  the  Numidians  who  comprised  his  force 
were  furious  at  his  disgrace.  Communications  were 
at  once  oi)ened  with  Lawinus,  the  Roman  general. 
A  force  w  as  sent  to  Agrigentum  ;  the  Numidians  cut 
down  the  guards  of  one  of  the  city  gates,  threw  it 
open,  and  admitted  tlie  Roman  soldiers.  Hanno,  who 
had  come  to  the  place  i)robably  to  make  arrangements 
for  the  change  of  commanders,  saw  that  something 
had  taken  place,  and,  supi)osing  that  it  was  nothing 
more  than  some  riotous  proceedings  of  the  Numidians, 
went  down  to  restore  order.  He  discovered  the  truth 
just  in  time  to  save  himself  by  flight.  I.aivinus  exe- 
cuted the  principal  citizens  of  Agrigentum,  and  sold 
the  rest  of  the  population  as  slaves.  Of  the  sixty- 
six  Sicilian  towns  that  had  taken  the  side  of  Carthage, 


2i8 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


six  were  taken  by  force  of  arms  and  twenty  were  be- 
trayed ;  the  rcnnriindt'r  capitulated.  Before  the  end 
of  2IO  Sicily  was  finally  lost. 

In  Spain  affairs  h. id  not  reached  the  same  point,  but 
they  were  tending  the  same  way.  Hannibal  had  left, 
we  have  seen,  his  brother  Hasdrubal  in  command,  and 
the  war  was  carried  on  for  several  years  with  varying 
success  between  him  and  the  two  brothers,  Cna-us  and 
Fublius  Scii)in  (iiius  S(  ipio  had  been  left  in  Spain 
in  temporat)- cominiuui  when  I'ublius  left  the  country 
to  face  Hannibal  In  Italy,  and  he  gained  some  con- 
siderable successes  if  l.iv\'s  account  is  to  be  trusted. 
We  cannot  help  nt.ticin;^.  however,  that  the  Roman 
generals  are  again  and  again  credited  with  great 
victories  which  mosilx-  arc  found  to  lead  to  nothing. 
Unfortunately  we  have  no  <»tlier  accounts  to  fall  back 
upon,  and  we  can  only  tell  the  stor>'  as  it  is  told  to 
us,  and  believe  whatever  seems  credible. 

In  2l8  Cna^us  Scipio  fou-jht  a  battle  with  Hanno, 
who  had  been  left  in  command  (.f  the  country  between 
the  Ebro  and  the  l*\Tenees,'  vanquished  and  took 
him  prisoner,  and  alinv»Nt  ainiihilated  his  army.  The 
soldiers  found  a  great  pn/e  in  his  camp,  for  Hannibal 
had  left  with  him  the  lu 'avv-  bai^-age  which  he  could 
not  carry  across  the  A\\)^.  1  lasdrubal  moved  to  help 
his  colleague,  but  finding  himself  too  late,  re-crossed 
the  Ebro.  The  next  \ear  alter  wintering  at  Tarraco, 
Cnaeus  defeated  the  Carthaginian  fleet  off  the  mouth 
of  the  Ebro.  Shortly  afterwards  he  was  joined  by 
his  brother  Publius  ;  and  the  two  generals  continued 
to  act  together  for  several  vears.  Their  first  step  was 
to  march  to  Saguntum.     Fhe  hostages  given  to  th« 


I 


ROMAN  SUCCESSES  IN  SPAIN. 


239 


Carthaginian  government  by  the  Spanish  tribes  were 
kept  in  the  citadel  of  this  town  ;  the  Scipios  contrived 
to  get  possession  of  them  by  the  treachery  of  the  officer 
who  had  the  charge  of  them.     They  sent  them  back  to 
their  friends,  and  of  course  gained  great   popularity 
throughout  Spain  by  the  act.     In  the  following  year 
(216)  they  are  said  to  have  defeated   Hasdrubal  on 
the  banks  of    the  Ebro  so  completely  that  he  fled 
from  the  field  of  battle  with  but  a  few  followers.     In 
215  they  relieved  Illiturgis,  which  Hasdrubal  and  two 
other  Carthaginian    generals    were   besieging.      The 
Romans,   we  read,   had   but    sixteen   thousand  men 
under  arms,  the  Carthaginians  sixty  thousand ;  but 
the  result  of  the  battle  was  a  complete  victory.     The 
Romans  killed  more  than  their  own  number,  captured 
three  thousand  men,  nearly  a  thousand  horses  (Livy  is 
careful  not  to  overstate  the  number),  sixty  standards, 
and    seven    elephants.      Moving   on   to    Intibilis  the 
Scipios  fought  another  battle,  killed  thirteen  thousand 
of  the  enemy,  captured  two  thousand,  two  and  forty 
standards,  and   nine  elephants.     The  result  of  these 
brilliant  victories  was  that  nearly  all  Spain  came  over 
to  the  Roman  side.     So  we  read,  but  find  that  for  all 
this  it  was  necessary  to  win  two  more  great  victories 
in  the  following  year  (214). 

We  may  be  sure,  however,  that  during  these  years 
and  the  two  following  years  f2i3,  212)  the  balance  of 
success  inclined  to  the  Roman  side.  And  this  supe- 
riority became  more  evident  when-  Hasdrubal  Barca 
had  to  be  recalled  to  Africa,  where  the  Numidian 
king  Syphax  had  declared  war  against  Carthage. 
The  Scipios  had  sent  envoys  to  him,  promising  him 


4 


2^.0' 


t;//:  story  ( 


\kTIlA(,E. 


immediate  help  and  aiturc  reward  if  he  would  perse- 
vere in  Ills  hostility.  On.  the  envr,v<  remained 
behind  to  ,t  in  (h-illinj^  his  new  lev  ic-..  The  Car- 
tha-inian.  hanid  .in  ally  in  Km-  Gala,  S\-i)hax  > 
neiujibour  and  rival.  Kin-  (iala  had  a  x.ri.  Ma.inissa. 
ayoutli  of  tujt  seventeen  years,  l)ut  of  extraurdinar)' 
eap.u:ity.  \'nnrvr  as  fu,  ua^  '-  u,.^  ,uit  in  command 
of  his  fiitlier.  .uin\-  and  ot  liic  (  artha^inian  tr(M.i)s 
which  servec I  uith  it.  and  deR'ated  S\phax  so  coni- 
plctel)'  that  til'  ir  ua>  ended  by  a  sin-le  battle. 
We  shall  liear  wf  Masini>.,t  a.^,iiii. 

liasdrudal   u.is  now  able  It.  ifturn  to  S|)ain.     He 
took  uith  him    lar-e  reinfoicc ■ment^,  two  lieutenants, 
another  ^a^drubal.  the  >on  of  (Wsco  and    Ma^o,  the 
y(mn-est  brother  of  Hannibal,  and  Ma.inissa.  ".After 
this   the    tV,rtunc   of  way  clian-ed.      Tlie  Scipios  had 
made  a  ^reat  eflVu-t  t         :ni)lete  tlie  con(Iue^t  of  Spain. 
raising  a   native    force    of    twenty    thousand    to    act 
Ir-oether  with  tlieir  ou  ri  tr*M-p..    In  view  of  tlie  f^ict  that 
^^^''*-"^'  ^  arthaginian  arniKs  urre  now  in  the  field,  they 
determined  to  divide  their  own  Un\v>.      I'ublius  with 
two4hirds  of  the  annv-  \v;.s  u^  act  a-ainst   M.i^o  and 
Idasdrul)al    (hsco,   Cn.euN    a-ainst    1  Ia>drubal   Barca. 
rubluiN,   he.uin-    that    Ins  opponents   u  likely    to 

have  their  stren-th  lar-ely  nu  , cased  bv  native  allies, 
resolved  to  attack  them  at  once.  He  was  himself 
attacked  on  his  inarch  bv  tlie  African  H-ht  lioi  .emen 
under  Masinissa.  and  when  lie  faced  alnait  to  receive 
their  chai-e,  found  the  Caitha-iin'ans  ailin^  his 
'7''-  ^,  ^^  ''"^'^  '^i"^^<'l^  l^illed  earlv-  m  the  dav^and 
after  his  death  his  troo|)>  soon  took  to  fli<jht.  Few, 
however,   could   escajie  when   the  pursuers    were  the 


DEATH   OF   THE   SCIPIOS. 


241 


light  African  horsemen,  and  an  infantry  that  was 
almost  as  fleet  of  foot.  The  camp,  however,  with  its 
<xarrison  was  still  safe. 

Cn.eus  did  not  long  survive  his  brother.    His  native 
allies    had    been    bribed  to   leave  him  ;  and   he  now 
f  )und  himself  in  the  presence  of  the  united  forces  of 
the  three  Carthaginian  generals.      He  drew  his  forces 
together  on  some  rising  ground  that  was  near.     The 
place  was  incapable  of  being  defended.  .The  ascent  was 
was  easv.  There  was  no  timber  for  a  rampart  ;  no  earth 
with  which  the  soldiers  could  make  an  entrenchment. 
All  that  could  be  done  was  to  make  a  poor  defence  out 
of  the  pack-saddles  of  the  horses  and  mules  and  the 
baggage.    This  was  almost  immediately  broken  down. 
Many  of  the  soldiers  made  their  escape  to  the  camp 
of  the  other  army  ;  but  the  general  perished.     He  had 
survived  his  brother  only  twenty-nine  days.     Lucius 
Marcius,  the   officer  left    in  command    of  the  camp, 
contrived  to  keep  together  what  was  left  of  the  Roman 
forces,  and  even  to  inflict  some  losses  on  the  enemy. 
His  command  was  taken  over  by  Claudius  Nero,  who 
was  sent  from  Rome  for  that  purpose,  but  who  seems 
to  have  effected  but  little  good.     Livy  tells  a  strange 
story   of  how    I lasdrubal   was    surrounded  ;    how    he 
I)romised  to   evacuate   Spain  ;    how    he    amused    the 
Roman   general    by  conferences  about  the  terms  of 
agreement,  and  in  the  meanwhile  contrived    to  get 
his   army  out  of  their  dangerous  situation,   so   that 
Nero,  when   the  negotiations  were  broken  ofT,  found 
nothing  but  an  empty  camp.     The  death  of  the  two 
Scipios  seems  to  have  happened  in  the  year  211. 
The  next  }'ear  the  son  of  Publjus,  whom  we  have 


242 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


seen  saving  his  father's  life  at  the  battle  of  theTicinus, 
came  into  S})ain  a^  commander-in-chief.  It  was  an 
office  whicli  no  unc  liad  desired  to  hold,  for  wlicn  the 
election  was  held  at  Rome  not  a  single  candidate 
presented  himself.  At  last  the  vnun;^  Scipio  came 
toruard  fie  was  not  twenty- four  \ears  old,  and 
therefore  below  llic  legal  age  for  even  the  lowest 
office;  but  the  pco|)lc  received  him  with  applause. 
His  high  re[Hitation,  the  beauty  of  his  person,  and 
his  charm  of  manner.  sTinkc  for  him.  \\  hen  he  pro- 
mised that  lie  would  cuaquer  not  only  S[)ain,  but 
C'artli.u^c;  itself,  wliat  would  ha\c- seemed  in  any  other 
man  but  a  fo( )lish  boast  was  received  with  delight, 
and  lie  \\  as  unanimously  chosen. 

He  began  his  <  .uni)aign  by  a  great  achievement — 
the  capture  of  New  Cartilage,  the  cai)ital  of  the  Car- 
thaginian province.  A  niglit  march  brought  him  up  to 
the  walls  of  the  cit\'  before  any  one  knew  that  he  had 
even  arrived  in  Spain.  With  the  keen  eye  of  a  great 
general  he  spied  the  weak  spot  in  the  defences,  a 
j)lace  where  the  sea  came  up  to  the  wall.  Taking 
advantage  of  an  unusually  low  tide — for  he  seems  to 
have  had  the  curious  good  fortune  which  goes  to  make 
a  great  general — he  led  his  men  through  the  water, 
which  was  barely  up  to  their  knees,  and  found  his  way 
into  the  city.  Magu,  who  was  in  command,  retreated 
into  the  citadel  ;  but,  finding  it  impossible  to  hold 
out,  surrendered  himself  and  his  garrison  in  the  course 
of  a  few  hours.  Within  four  days  after  coming  into 
this  province,  Scipio  had  thus  justified  his  appointment 
by  capturing  the  Carthaginian  capital.  It  will  be 
convenient   if  we  take  this   opportunity  of  finishing 


CAPTURE   OF   NEW   CARTHAGE. 


243 


the  story  of  the  Carthaginian  rale  in  Spain,  though  \t 
will  carry  us  beyond  the  time  up  to  which  we  have 
followed  the  course  of  event-  e  sewhere. 

During   the  remainder  of  the  year   which  he  had 
begun  by  the  capture  of  New  Carthage   Scipio  re- 
mained quiet,  but  was  busy  in  preparing  for  future 
action.     I  le  made  friends  of  the  Spanish  chiefs.    This 
was  a  business  which  he  could  do  better  than   any 
other  man,  for  no  one  could  withstand  the  singular 
charm  of  his  manner.     When  he  took  the  field  in  the 
following  year  (209    the  natives  joined  him  in  large 
numbers.     In  the  course  of  this  campaign  he  fougiit 
;i  great  battle  with    llasdrubal   Barca.     } le  is  said  to 
lia\e  defeated  him,  but  as  he  did  not  hinder  him  from 
carr\'ing  out  his  great  plan    of  which   I   shall  have  to 
speak  hereafter;  of  marching  into  Italy  to  the  help  ot 
Hannibal,  the  defeat  was  evidently  not  serious.     The 
next  year  passed  with   few   incidents,  but  in   207  a 
rlecisive  defeat  of  the  Carthaginian  armies  at  Silpia 
made  Scipio   master  of  nearly    the   whole  of  Spain. 
Only  Gades  was  left  to  Carthage       Scipio  had  not 
forgotten    his    promise    that    he    would    conquer  not 
only  Spain  but  Carthage  also.     One  part  of  it  was 
now  nearly  fulfilled,   and   he   now   saw    a  chance  of 
fulfilling    the  other.      I le  crossed   over   with  only  a 
couple  of  war-ships  to  Africa,  and  presented  himself 
at  the  court  of  King    Sypha.x.      His  object  was  to 
persuade  the  king  to  desert  Carthage,  and  enter  into 
alliance  with   Rome.      Curiously  enough    Hasdrubal 
Gisco    had    come   on    a    similar    errand.      The    two 
opponents  spent  several  days  together,  and  conversed, 
we  are  told,  in   a  most   kindly  fashion-     The   king 


i 


Jjiiig  ■■■!  |M|i ''  X| 


Tin:    STORY  OF  C ARTlIAGE. 


^ccms  to  have  made  ijminiscs  to  both.  lie  was 
greatly  charmed  witli  Sci[)i().  and  even  [)roini.fd  to 
make  the  .illi.iiicc  uiiicli  he  desired.  lUit  he  ua>.  ^till 
OKM-e  charmed  with  So[)honisl)a,  the  lovcK' daui-htcr 
of  IIas(h-ul)al.  She  became  his  wife,  and  under  her 
influence  he  remained  faithful  to  ('artlia<^^e. 

Thin;4s  had  vhA  --iu.^  vvcil  m  Spain  during'  Scij^io's 

abs{ 'lice.       Ma ■«•,    wlio    was    still    at    (iacU's,    induced 

some  of  the  S|)anish  tribes  to  revolt  a^i^ainst  Rome. 
Tlu:s( '  had  to  l)e  .r^ain  subdued  When  this  was 
don<'.  v  ,,>i()  liimself  fell  ill.  iJuiui-  hi.^  illness  a  [)art 
of  the  Roman  armv  Ijroke  out  in*  pen  mutin\'. 
Tlieir  [)a>'  was  in  arrear.  and  Scii)io's  strict  discipline 
forbad  them  to  make  it  w^*  b\'  plunderin*^*-  tlie  natives 
of  the  coutitr)-.  Hut  when  the  <^^eneral  was  sufficiently 
recovered  to  be  al)le  to  deal  with  tliem  in  person,  he 
contrived  to  brin;^-  them  back  to  their  duty.  The 
Cartlia;^n*nian  cause  in  Spain  was  now  lost.  Mat^o, 
the  l)rotlier  < »f  Hanni[)al,  transj)orte(l  what  forces 
remiiined  to  him  into  I.ii^uria.  and  (iades  surrendered 
to  the  Romans.     This  was  in  tlie  year  205. 


Tin:    I.A>f   CilANCI-:   OF   VICTORY. 


In  Ital>-  Hannibal  still  remained  unvan(|uished  in 
the  field,  though  his  hopes  were  i;raduall\'  i^rowini;- 
less.  l\arl\-  in  the  xear  2IO  he  won  at  Ilerdonia 
in  Western  Apulia  a  victorv  wliich  ma\'  aln.o^t  1)C 
reckoned  with  t1i<»^i •  that  had  made  his  ear!)-  cam- 
i)ai<ms  so  famous.  Cna-us  h\ilvius,  who  l.ad  !>ccn 
Consul  the  \'ear  before,  had  made  a  sudden  march  on 
the  town.  It  was  one  of  those  that  had  rexoltctl 
after  the  defeat  at  Cannae,  and  he  under.^tood  it  to 
be  badl>'  guarded.  He  was  the  bolder  because  he  be- 
lieved Hannibal  to  be  in  the  extreme  south  of  Italy. 
But  Hannibal  had  lieard  ever\thir.g  irom  Ids  spies, 
and  was  there  to  meet  him.  Kui\ius,  as  might  be 
expected,  was  out-geiieralled.  His  army  was  unskil- 
full>'  ported,  and  could  not  resist  the  attacks  which 
were  directed  a-ainst  it  from  several  points  at  once. 
The  end  was  a  comi)'ete  rout.  lu  en  the  Roman 
c  imp  was  taken.  luilvius  hiim-elf  fell  in  th.c  battle, 
and  the  Roman  lo^s  was  estimated  b\-  some  at  eleven, 
by  others  at  seven  thousand.  It  was  evidently  a 
great  disaster.  Nothing  like  an  army  was  left  ;  only 
some  scattered  fugitives  made  their  way  to  Marcellus 
in  Samnium.     It  was  from  Marcellus,  not  from  any 


246 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


Officer  who  had  been  present  at  Ilcrdonia,  that  the 
Senate  received  a  despatch  describing  what  had 
happened. 

During  the  rest  of  the  campaign  but  little  hap- 
f>encd,  though  Marcel! us  is  said  to  have  fought  a 
drauM  battle  with  Hannibal,  which  was  claimed  as 
a  victory  when  the  next  day  he  fmind  th.if  the 
enemy  had  decamped.  The  foUowin-  j^uai  ^_L^yi  v\as 
one  of  disaster  to  ffannibal,  for  he  lost  the  second  of 
the  great  gains  which  he  had  secured  in  Italy,  the  city 
of  Tarentum.  It  was  betrayed  to  the  Romans  by  the 
commander  of  the  Bruttian  garrison  which  Hannibal 
had  placed  in  it.  The  veteran  soldier  Fabius,  now  in 
his  eightieth  year  and  consul  for  the  fifth  time,  had 
the  great  delight  of  finishing  his  many  campaigns  by 
this  piece  of  gi )od  fortune.  A  happy  jest  which  the 
old  man  is  said  to  have  uttered  on  the  occasion  has 
been  recorded.  Livius,  when  his  carelessness  had 
lost  the  city,  had  taken  refuge  in  the  citadel.  The 
citadel  had  never  |)assed  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
Romans,  and  tins  fact  of  course  made  the  recovery  of 
the  town  somewhat  niore  ca>\ .  I.ivius  was  disposed 
to  get  some  credit  for  himself  out  of  this  circum- 
stance. "You  may  thank  me,"  he  said,  "  Quintus 
Fabius,  for  having  been  able  to  reco\er  Tarentum." 
"Quite  so,"  replied  Fabius,  ''for  if  you  had  not  lost  it, 
I  never  should  have  recovered  it."  Hannibal  had  heard 
of  the  advance  of  the  Romans,  and  had  hastened  by 
forced  marches  to  sa\c  the  city.  He  was  too  late. 
He  pitched  his  camp  clc  se  !)v,  and  after  a  few  days 
returned  to  his  headquarters  at  Metapontum.  He 
made  an  attempt  to  entrap    Fabius,  who  might,  he 


THE   DEATH   OF   MARCELLUS. 


247 


thought,  be  tempted,  after  his  success  at  Tarentum, 
into  making  a  similar  attempt  on   Metapontum.     A 
forged  letter,  purporting  to  come  from  some  of  the 
princii)al  citizens,  was  conveyed  to  him,  offering  to 
betray  the  place  into  his  hands.     The  old  Roman  is 
said  to  have  been  deceived,  but  to  have  been  deterred 
from  making  the  attempt  by  some  unfavourable  signs 
in  the  sacrifices.     Notwithstanding  this  loss,  Hannibal 
seems  to  have  held   his  own  during  the  rest  of  the 
campaign.    Livy  tells  us,  indeed,  that  Marcellus  fought 
three  battles  wiih  him,  and  that  after  being  beaten  in 
the    first,   he  drew    the  second,  and   won   the   third. 
But  as  it  was  made  a  complaint  against  him  after- 
wards that  he  had  kept  his  troops  for  the  greater  part 
of  the    year  within  the  walls  of   Venusia,   and   had 
allowed   the  enemy  to   plunder   the  country  at   his 
pleasure,    we   may   well   doubt  whether  any  victory 
was  won.      Rome  was  now  showing  great  signs  of 
exhaustion,    for    twelve    out    of    the    thirty    Latin 
cities  refused  to   furnish  any  further  supplies  ;    and 
the    Etrurians   were    beginning    to   waver    in    their 

fidelity. 

The  next  year  (208)  is  chiefly  marked  by  the  death 
of  Marcellus.  Chosen  consul  for  the  sixth  time,  he 
marched  with  his  colleague  Crispinus  to  act  against 
Hannibal.  He  was  never  content,  we  are  told,  except 
when  he  was  engaged  with  the  great  Carthaginian 
leader  himself.  The  two  consuls  had  ridden  out  of 
the  camp  with  an  escort  of  two  hundred  cavalry,  some 
of  them  Etrurians,  who  had  been  compelled  to  serve 
to  ensure  the  fidelity  of  their  cities.  Some  African 
horsemen  under  cover  of  a  wood  which  was  between 


i 


248 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


the  twf)  camps,  crc|>t  unobserved  to  the  rear  of  the 
Roman  part\-  and  then  charged  them  froni  behind. 
The  EtruricUi.^  tied  ;  the  rest  of  tlic  escort,  who  were 
Lritins,  were  ovcrjjowcrc  d.  Marcellus  was  killed  on 
the  spot  ;  Crispinus  was  wounded  so  seriously  that  he 
died  not  loii;^  afterwards.  IIann!l)a1  q;avc  honourable 
burial  to  tlie  body  of  his  brave  opponent. 

And  now  came  one  of  tlie  critical  years  of  the 
war.  Ilasdrubal,  of  whose  departure  from  Spain  I 
have  spoken  be  fore,  \\;i-«  now  in  Italy,  lie  had  found 
little  difficulty  in  crosMiii;  tlic  Alps  ;  the  native  tnbcs 
had  Iciirnt  th«'it  no  lijirni  was  intended  to  them, 
and  [)robably  received  some  consideration  for  their 
neutrality  And  some  of  the  eni^ineerinc:  works 
which  Maimiba!  had  constructed  were  doubtless  still 
in  existence.  Anyhow,  Ilasdrubal  made  his  appear- 
ance in  Itidy  before  the  Romans,  and  even,  it  would 
seem,  before  his  broth^^r  '  vpected  him.  Rome  made 
a  g^reat  effort  to  meet  tins  new  daiv^er.  She  liad  lost 
some  of  her  best  generals.  Marcellus  >  ilead,  and 
Fabius  was  too  old  for  active  sei  v  ice.  I.ivius,  an  old 
soldier  who  had  distinguished  himself  twelve  years 
before,  but  had  since  been  liviiv^  in  retirement,  and 
Claudius  Nero  weie  cIiom  n  ( ^  nsuls,  and  fifteen 
legions  were  raised  to  form  their  armies.  Livius 
wa-  -ent  to  act  against  llaxlru  al;  Nero  watched 
the  armv  of  Hannibal. 

And  now  we  come  to  ruie  of  the  boldest  and  most 
skilful  achievements  in  the  historv  of  Roman  war. 
A  despatch  from  Hasdruhil  to  h\<  brother,  announc- 
ing his  intention  of  joimn^  hun,  teii  mto  the  hands  of 
some   Roman   scouts  and  was  brought  to  Nero.     It 


NERO'S  GREAT  MARCH. 


249 


was  written  in  the  Carthaginian  language,  but  there 
were,  of  course,  prisoners  in  the  camp  who  could  read 
it  to  the  consul.  He  conceived  at  once  a  bold  design. 
He  would  take  his  best  troops,  join  his  colleague 
by  forced  marches,  and  crush  Hasdrubal  before  he 
could  effect  the  junction  with  his  brother.  The  force 
which  he  selected  numbered  seven  thousand  men. 
Even  they  were  not  at  first  let  into  the  secret. 
They  were  to  surprise  a  garrison  at  Lucania,  he  told 
them.  It  was  only  when  they  were  well  on  their 
way  that  he  discovered  his  real  design.  He  reached 
the  camp  of  Livius  in  safety,  and  it  was  agreed  be^ 
tween  the  two  consuls  that  battle  should  be  given 

at  once. 

But  the  keen  eyes  of  Hasdrubal  had  discovered 
what  had  happened.  The  Romans  seemed  more 
numerous  than  before  ;  his  scouts  noticed  that  of  the 
watering-parties  which  went  cxjwn  to  the  river  some 
were  more  sunburnt  than  the  rest.  Finally  it  was 
observed  that  the  clarion  was  sounded  twice  in  the 
camp,  showing  that  both  consuls  were  present.  He 
resoKcd  to  avoid,  if  he  could,  an  engagement,  and 
left  his  camp  during  the  night.  But  when  he 
attempted  to  march  southward  his  difficulties  began. 
His  native  guide  escaped,  and  he  could  not  find  the 
ford  over  the  river  Metaurus,  which  lay  in  his  route. 
He  thus  lost  the  start  which  he  had  gained  by  his 
stealthy  departure,  and  the  Romans  came  up  with 
him.  He  had  begun  to  fortify  a  camp,  but  seeing 
the  enemy  advance  prepared  to  give  battle.  He  put 
his  elephants  in  front.  The  Gauls,  recent  levies  whom 
he  could   not  trust,  he  posted  on   his  left,  protecting 


250 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


ODE  PROM  HORACE, 


25i 


them  as  much  as  he  could   by  the  elephants.      His 
own  place  was  on  the  right  wing.     Here  he  had  his 
Spanish  infantry,  veteran  soldiers  whom  he  had  often 
led  to  victory.     The  left  wing  of  the  Romans  which 
was  opposed  to  him  was   led  by  the  Consul    Livius. 
Here  the  struggle    was    long   and    obstinate.      The 
elephants   at    first   did    j^ood    service    to   their    side. 
Afterwards,  maddened   by  the   wounds    which    they 
received,  they  trampled  down  friend  and   foe  alike. 
After  a  while,  Nero,  repeating  the  same  tactics  which 
h  id  made  him  leave  his  own  weakened  army  facing 
^ Cannibal  to  help  his  colleague,  withdrew  some  of  the 
troops   from    the    Roman    right    wing,   and    charged 
the  flank  of  the  enemy.     The  Spaniards  could  not 
resist  this  new  attack.     The  Gauls,  who  had  broken 
into  the  stores  of  wine  and  had  drunk  to  excess,  were 
cut  down   where  they  stood,  or  lay  helpless  on   the 
ground.     The  rout  was  complete.     Hasdrubal  would 
not  survive  so  terrible  a  defeat.     He  set  spurs  to  his 
horse,  charged  the  Roman  line,  and  fell  fighting  with 
the  courage  that  became  the  son  of  Hamilcar  and 
brother  of  Hannibal.     The  loss  of  the  Carthaginians 
is  said  to  have  been  56,000.     This  is  a  manifest  exag- 
geration, for  Hasdrubal  could  not  have  had  so  many 
in  his  army.     Whatever  were  the  numbers  it  was  a 
decisive  victory.     There  could  now  be  no  d^ubt  that 
Rome,  not  Carthage,  w  as  to  be  the  conqueror  of  the 
Second  Punic  War.     I  may  conclude  this  chapter  by 
quoting  part  of  the  splendid  ode  in  which  Horace, 
singing  the  praises  of  another  Nero,'  dwells  on  the 
achievement  of  his  great  ancestor. 

■Tiberius  Claudius  Nero,  afterwards  the  Emperor  Tiberius. 


What  thou,  Rome,  dost  the  Neros  owe, 

Let  dark  Metaurus  river  say, 
And  Hasdrubal,  thy  vanquished  foe, 
And  that  auspicious  day 
Which  through  the  scattered  gloom  broke  forth  with  smiling  ray. 

When  ioy  again  to  Latium  came, 

Nor  longer  through  her  towns  at  ease 

The  fatal  Lyl)ian  swept,  like  flame 
Among  the  forest  trees, 
Or  Eurus'  headlong  gust  across  Sicilian  seas. 

Thenceforth,  for  with  success  they  toiled, 
Rome's  youth  in  vigour  waxed  amain, 
And  temples,  ravaged  and  despoiled 
By  Punic  hordes  profane, 
Upraised  within  their  shrines  beheld  their  gods  again. 

Till  spoke  forth  Hannibal  at  length  : 

"  Like  stags,  of  ravening  wolve-»  the  prey, 

Why  rush  to  grapple  with  their  strength. 
From  whom  to  steal  away 
Our  loftiest  triumph  is,  they  leave  for  us  to-day  ? 

'*  That  race,  inflexible  as  brave, 

From  Ilium  quenched  in  flames  who  bore, 
Across  the  wild  Etruscan  wave. 
Their  babes,  their  grandsires  hoar, 
And  all  their  sacred  things  to  the  Ansonian  shore ; 

"  Like  oak,  by  sturdy  axes  lopped 
Of  all  its  boughs,  which  once  the  brakes 

Of  shaggy  Algidus  o'ertopped. 
Its  loss  its  glory  makes, 
And  from  the  very  steel  fresh  strength  and  spirit  takes. 

"  Not  Hydra,  cleft  through  all  its  trunk, 

With  fresher  vigour  waxed  to  spread. 
Till  even  Alcides'  spirit  shrunk  ; 
Nor  yet  hath  Colchis  dread. 
Or  Echionean  Thebes  more  fatal  monster  bred. 


it 


III 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


it 


^"  '"' -1  plunge  it,  and  more  bright 

It  i.ic-i  ,  s(atttr  it,  and  lo  ! 
Its  unscathed  \nt«>rs  it  uill  Miiite 
With  direful  ovtTthn»vv, 
And  Rome's  i»roud  dames  shall  tell  of  many  a  routed  foe. 

**  No  iPCN^en^cr  in  boastful  pride 

Shall  I  to  ( 'arthage  send  again  ; 
Our  fvrrv  li(>[K>  it  died,  it  died, 

VVhtii  llastlruhal  was  slain, 
And  with  hJN  fall  mir  name's  all-conquering  star  did  wane."' 

Nero  rcturnc( I  in  haste  to  his  army,  and  ordered 
the  head  of  Ilasdrubal  to  be  thrown  in  front  of  the 
Carthaginian  outposts.  It  was  carried  to  Hannibal, 
and  recognized  by  him.  "  I  see,"  he  said,  "  the  doom' 
of  Carthage.'*  The  next  day  he  retreated  into  the 
extreme  south  of  Italy. 

'  I  have  borrowed  the  version  of  Sir  Theodore  Martin. 


XIV. 


THE   LAST  STRUGGLE. 


For  more  than  three  years  after  the  fatal  day  of 
Mctaurus,  Hannibal  maintained  himself  in  Italy.  It 
was  only  the  extreme  south  of  the  peninsula,  the 
mountainous  country  of  Bruttii,  that  he  held  ;  and 
even  here,  though  the  Roman  generals  were  con- 
tent to  leave  him  alone,  knowing  well  how  formidable 
he  still  was  in  the  field,  he  was  obliged  to  draw  his 
defences  within  still  narrowing  limits.  His  head- 
quarters were  at  Crotona.  Near  this  place  he  built 
an  altar  to  Juno,  and  placed  on  it  a  tablet  with  an 
inscription  in  Carthaginian  and  Greek,  giving  a  sum- 
mary of  his  campaigns  in  Italy,  with  the  number  of 
battles  won,  towns  taken,  and  enemies  slain.  Livy 
bestows  hearty  praise  on  his  conduct  at  this  time.  "  I 
know  not,"  he  says,  "  whether  the  man  was  more  ad- 
mirable in  prosperity  or  in  adversity.  For  thirteen 
years,  far  away  from  home,  he  waged  war,  and  waged 
it  not  with  an  army  of  his  own  countrymen,  but  with 
a  miscellaneous  crowd  gathered  from  all  nations- 
men  who  had  neither  laws,  nor  customs,  nor  language 
in  common,  with  different  dress,  different  arms,  dif- 
ferent worship,  I  may  say,  different  gods.  And  yet 
he  kept  them  together  by  so  close  a  tie  that  they 


I 


i 


254 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


never  quarrelled  amonc:  themselves  or  mutinied 
against  him,  and  this  th;ugh  he  was  often  without 
money  for  their  pay.  Even  after  Hasdrubal's  death, 
when  he  had  nothing  but  a  corner  of  Italy  left  to  him, 
his  camp  was  as  quiet  as  ever." 

Hannibal  was  of  course  unwilling  finally  to  give  up 
the  great  scheme  of  his  life.  He  hoped  against  hope 
that  something  might  yet  happen  which  would  give 
him  a  chance  of  carrying  it  out.  Rome  had  other 
enemies  besides  Carthage  who  might  yet  be  united 
against  her.  There  was  Antiochus  in  Syria,  and 
Philip  in  Macedonia.  He  lived  to  see  them  both 
engaged  in  war  with  Rome,  and  both  conquered.  If 
he  could  only  have  given  them  something  of  his  own 
foresight,  and  united  them  against  the  common  enemy, 
he  might  even  yet  have  succeeded  in  his  great  scheme. 
But  want  of  wisdom,  or  want  of  energy,  or  want  of 
courage,  made  them  hold  back,  and  the  opportunity 
was  lost. 

One  effort,  indeed,  was  made  to  help  him.  His 
youngest  brother  Mago,  seeing  that  nothing  could  be 
done  in  Spain,  landed  with  all  the  forces  that  he  could 
raise,  and  with  what  were  sent  him  from  home,  in 
Liguria.  On  his  way  he  possessed  himself  of  the 
island  now  called  Minorca,  where  Port  Mahon  (Mago's 
Harbour)  still  preserves  the  memory  of  his  visit.  He 
had  some  success  in  rallying  the  Gauls  to  his  stan- 
dard, but  he  accomplished  nothing  of  importance.  So 
far  as  his  object  was  to  make  a  diversion  in  favour  of 
Hannibal,  he  failed. 

In  204  Scipio  crossed  over  from  Sicily  to  Africa. 
His  first  movements  were  not  very  successful,     He 


IIIIIM^^^^^^^       ' 


SCIPIO   AXD   SYPHAX. 


257 


bc-an  the  sicnrc  of  I'tica,  but  was  coi npelled  to  raise 
it,  and  to  retiic  to  a  stroivj;  position  on  the  sea-coast, 
where  he  was  i)rotected  by  the  united  strength  of  his 
fleet  and  his  army.  Here  he  wintered,  and  earlv  the 
following  year  began  again  active  operations.  He 
liad  two  armies  opf^oscd  to  him — that  of  Carthage, 
commanded  by  Hasdrubal,  the  son  of  Gisco,  and  that 
of  Kini;  S\  phax.  In  his  own  camp  was  Masinissa, 
who  thouirh  he  had  lost  his  kingdom,  and  indeed  had 
barely  esca[)ed  with  his  life,  was  without  doubt  a  very 
a  \ery  valuable  counsellor  and  ally. 

Kin*'-  Svphax  had  conceived  the  hope  that  he  might 
be  at)le  tc^  act  as  mediator  between   Rome  and  Car- 
thage    He  now  proposed  a  peace,  in  which  the  chief 
coiulition   was  that    Hannibal    should  evacuate  Italy 
and  Scipio  Africa.     Scipio  answered  that  these  were 
term<  uhich  could  not  be  accepted,  but  gave  him  to 
untlel■^tand  that  he  was  ready  to  listen  to  other  pro- 
posals.      KnvoN's  went  backwards  and  forwards  be- 
tween the  two  camps      On  the  part  of  the  king  there 
was,  it  would  seem,  a  genuine  belief  that  peace  might 
be   made  ;    Scipio's  envoys  were   really  nothing  else 
tlian  so  many  spies.     I le  was  waiting  for  the  oppor- 
tunity of  carrying  out  a  scheme  which  had  possibly 
been' invented   by  himself,  or,  as  is  more  probable, 
su«T.r(>^trd  by  Masinissa.     This  scheme  was  to  set  fire 
to  the  camps  of  the  two  hostile  armies.     These  camps 
consisted  of  huts  which  would  readily  burn,  and  the 
chief  thing  wanted  was  to  put  the  enemy  completely 
oft*  his   guard.     Scipio  can  scarcely  be  acquitted  of 
rscriething  like  treachery  in   this  affair.     There  was 
virtually  a  truce  between  him  and  Syphax.      While 


258 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


HANNIBAL   RECALLED. 


259 


negotiations     for   peace    were    going  on,   the    king 
naturally  supposed  himself  to  be  safe  from  attack. 

When  all  his  preparations  were  complete,  Scipio 
divided  his  army  into  two.     With  half  he  was  himself 
to  attack  the  Carthaginian  camp ;  the  other  half  he 
put  under  the  command    of  his  friend   L^lius,  who 
was  assisted  by  Masinissa.     The  two  armies  marched 
out  of  the  camp  at  night,  and  Lxlius  and  Masinissa 
advanced  to  the  camp  of  Syphax.     While  the  former 
of  these  two  remained  in  reserve,  the  latter  under- 
took   the  work  of  setting  the   camp  on    fire.      The 
scheme   succeeded    perfectly.     "  The    camp  seemed 
framed,"    says    Polybius,    who    doubtless    heard    the 
story  from  Laelius  himself,  "  for  the  very  purpose  of 
being  set  on  fire."     The  flames  spread  rapidly  ;  and 
no  one  had  any  suspicion  but  that  the  fire  had  hap- 
pened  by  accident.     Some  perished  in  their  tents  ; 
many  were  trampled  to  death  in  the  confusion  ;  and 
nearly  all  who  contrived  to  escape  out  of  the  camp 
were  cut  down  by  the  Romans. 

At  first  the  Carthaginians  in  the  neighbouring  camp 
thought,  as  their  allies  had  thought,  that  the  fire  was 
accidental.  Some  of  them  ran  to  help  ;  others  stood 
gazing  at  the  sight.  None  had  any  notion  that  the 
enemy  was  at  hand  ;  they  were  therefore  actually 
unarmed  when  the  Romans  fell  upon  them.  In  a 
few  minutes  the  second  camp  was  in  the  same  con- 
dition as  the  first.  Hasdrubal,  with  a  small  body  of 
cavalry,  escaped  ;  Syphax  also  contrived  to  save  him- 
self, but  the  two  armies  were  virtually  destroyed. 

Syphax  had  thought  of  reconciling  himself  to  Rome ; 
but  his  wife  Sophonisba  prevailed  upon  him  to  give 


them  up.  He  raised  another  army,  which  was  soon 
joined  by  Hasdrubal,  who  had  also  contrived  to  get 
together  a  new  force,  among  them  being  four  thou- 
sand mercenaries  from  Spain.  A  battle  followed,  in 
which  Scipio  was  again  victorious. 

There  was  now  only  one  course  left  to  Carthage, 
and  that  was  to  recall  Hannibal  and  Maga     Mago, 
who  had  been  defeated   by  the    Roman   forces   just 
before  this  summons  reached  him,  set  sail  with  what 
was  left  of  his  army,  but  died  of  his  wounds  before 
he   reached    home.       Hannibal    received   the    com- 
mand   to  return  with   indignation  and   grief     Livy 
gives— we  know   not   on   what   authority— the   very 
words  in   which,  "  gnashing  his   teeth  and  groaning, 
and  scarcely  able  to  restrain  his  tears,"  he  answered 
the  envoys  of  the  Carthaginian  Senate.  "  They  call  me 
back  at  last  in  plain  words  ;  but  they  have  long  since 
implicitly  called  me  by  refusing  me    reinforcements 
and  money.      Hannibal  has  been  conquered,  not  by 
the  Roman  people,  which  he  has  defeated  and  routed 
a  hundred  times,  but  by  the  jealousy  of  the  Senate 
of  Carthage.      It  will  not  be  Scipio  that   will  exult 
in  the  disgrace  of  my  return  so  much  as  Hanno,  who, 
having  no  other  means  of  overthrowing  the  power  of 
my  famiK',  has  done  it  by  the  ruin  of  his  own  country." 
Hanno,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  the  leader  of  the 
peace-party.     Wrathful,  however,  as  he  was,  he  made 
no  delay  in  obeying  the  summons.    He  had  his  ships, 
indeed,  ready  prepared  for  this  service.     "  Seldom," 
says  Livy,  "has    an  exile   left  his   country  with   a 
sadder  heart  than  was  Hannibal's  when  he  departed 
from  the  land  of  his  Qn^mies.     Again  and  agam  he 


4 


26o 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


looked  back  on  the  shores  which  lie  was  leaving, 
and  cursed  liiiri^( -If  tint  iic  liad  not  led  iiis  <o](]\( ts 
drippinjT  with  the  l>i.M,l  of  Canii.t*  to  Rome  ithclf. 
'  Scipio,'  he  said,  '  has  ventured  to  attack  Carthacfc  ; 
but  I  wasted  my  time  at  Casilinum  and  Cumx^  and 
Xola." 

When  the  news  of  his  departure  reached  Rome,  a 
public  thanksgivini;  was  or'  !.  The  veteran  sol- 
dier Fabius  li.id  bestowed  upon  him  the  unexam|)led 
honour  of  a  wreath  of  oak  le;n  .^iven,  not  as  was 
commonly  the  ea^e,  for  haviUL;  ^a\ed  the  life  of  a 
citizen,  but  for  havin;^-  saved  In's  country.  A  few 
months  afterwards  he  died,  in  extreme  old  ajre, 
having  been  s{)ared  to  see  the  dearest  wish  of  his 
heart,  Ital\^  freed  from  the  iiuiider. 

I lannibal's  movements  after  his  landing  in  Africa — 
from  which  he  had  been  a})sent  more  than  thirty 
years—are  not  easilv  followed.  Indeed  the  whole 
history  of  this  time  is  somewhat  obscure.  We  hear 
of  a  truce  between  Carthai^x^  and  Re )me,  wliich  the 
former  treacherously  violatetl  ;  of  fav.iurable  terms  of 
peace  offered  b>'  Scipio.  and  of  a  fruitless  interview 
between  the  two  rival  generals;  but  it  i.>  difficult  to 
make  out  of  our  autliorities  a  clear  and  consistent 
account.     I  shall  i  >n  at  once  to  the  great  battle 

which  brought  the  Second  Vunic  War  to  an  end.  Of 
this  we  have  full  tletails.  It  was  fouglit  at  Zama,  on 
October  19th  according  to  some  authors,  according 
to  others  in   the  spring.^     Scipio  arranged  his  army 

'  Possibly  the  tlJscr.'pancy  may  l>e  partly  accounted  f..r  by  the  de- 
rangement of  the  Roman  calendar  <»f  this  time.  The  months  and  the 
seasons  were  not  by  any  mcan>  m  .  cc   ■,  l.iiicc 


2AMA, 


261 


according  to  the  usual  Roman  fashion,  but  did  not  fill 
up  the  intervals  between  the  cohorts  or  companies,^ 
and  he  put  more  space  than  usual  between  the  lines. 
His  object  was  to  lessen  the  danger  from  the  ele- 
phants. Lculius  with  the  Roman  cavalry  was  posted 
on  the  left,  Masinissa  with  the  African  horse  on  the 
ri'dit  The  light-armed  troops  were  placed  in  front, 
with  orders  to  retire,  if  they  found  themselves  hard 
l)ressed  b>'  the  elephants,  through  the  intervals  be- 
tween the  lines. 

Hannibal  posted  his  elephants,  of  which  he  had 
ei-hty,  in  front.  Behind  these  was  a  mixed  multitude 
of'merccnaries  ;  behind  these,  again,  the  native  Car- 
thaginian troops,  who  now,  in  the  extremity  of  danger, 
,ipp"  ar  again  in  the  field  ;  and  in  the  third  line  the 
veterans  whom  he  had  brought  with  him  from  Italy. 
On  the  left  wing  he  posted  his  African,  on  the  right 
his  Carthaginian  cavalry. 

The  battle  was  begun  by  the  elephants.  These 
creatures  did  at  least  as  much  harm  to  friends  as 
to  foes  2  They  are  said,  indeed,  to  have  caused  so 
much  confusion  among  the  Carthaginian  cavalry  that 
Lalius  was  easily  able  to  rout  this  part  of  the  hostile 

army.  ,       .         ^  i:    4. 

In  the  centre  of  che  two  armies  the  day  at  first 
went  in  favour  of  Hannibal.  His  mercenaries,  tried 
and  skilful  soldiers,  were  more  than  a  match  for  the 
unpractised   Romans.      If  they   had   been   properly 

X  The  intervals  of  the  first  line  were  usually  filled  up  in  the  second, 
and  those  of  the  seconcl  ,n  the  thkd  ^^^ 

2  The  trained  aiamaK  lia.l  long  smce  been  useu  up. 
long  before  this  lime,  of  one  Uauno  being  sent  to  hunt  for  fresh  ones. 


« 


262 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


supported  by  the  second  line  they  might  have  won 
the  day.  liut  the  citizen -soldiers  made  no  attempt  to 
advance.  It  was  only  when  they  were  attacked  by 
the  advancing  Romans,  and  even,  Polybius  adds,  by 
the  mercenaries,  now  infuriated  at  being  thus  deserted, 
that  they  began  to  defend  themselves.  This  they  did 
with  the  greatest  fury,  striking  indiscriminately  at 
friend  and  foe.  I lannibal's  own  force,  which  had 
closed  its  lines  against  the  fugitives  from  the  routed 
divisions,  had  still  to  be  dealt  with.  Here  the  battle 
was  long  and  obstinate.  The  combatants  fell  where 
they  fought.  But  I.adius  and  Masinissa  (for  the 
Numidian  prince  had  also  been  successful  in  his  part 
of  the  field)  returned  from  their  pursuit  of  the  Car- 
thaginian cavalry,  and  fell  upon  the  rear  of  Hannibal's 
troops,  and  broke  their  lines.  A  general  rout  ensued. 
Hannibal  made  his  way  with  a  small  body  of  cavalry 
to  Adrumctum.  Of  the  rest  few  escaped.  Twenty 
thousand  were  killed  on  the  field  of  battle  ;  as  many 
more  were  taken  prisoners.  The  Roman  loss  was 
fifteen  hundred.  **  Such,"  says  Polybius,  **  was  the 
battle  between  Hannibal  and  Scipio;  the  battle  which 
gave  to  the  Romans  the  sovereignty  of  the  world." 

Hannibal  collected  about  six  thousand  men,  the 
remains  of  his  army,  and  with  this  force  made  his 
way  back  to  Carthage.  The  government  had  opened 
negotiations  for  peace,  and  their  envoys  had  just 
returned,  bringing  back  Scipio's  terms.  They  were 
brieflv  these  : 

I.  Carthage  was  to  retain  its  African  possessions; 
was  to  be  independent ;  was  not  to  be  compelled  to 
receive  a  Roman  garrison. 


TERMS  OF  PEACE. 


263 


2.  All  prisoners  and  deserters  were  to  be  surren- 
dered. 

3.  All  ships  of  war,  except  Un,  were  to  be  given  up, 

and  all  elephants. 

4.  Carthage  should  not  make  war  on  any  state 
outside  Africa  ;  nor  on  any  within  it,  without  leave 
first  obtained  from  the  Romans. 

5.  King  Masinissa  should  have  restored  to  him  all 
that  he  or  his  ancestors  had  possessed. 

6.  The  Roman  army  was  to  be  provisioned  and 
paid  till  peace  was  formally  concluded. 

7.  An  indemnity  of  ten  thousand  talents,  and  an 
annual  tribute  of  two  hundred,  to  be  paid. 

8.  One  hundred  hostages,  to  be  chosen  by  the 
Roman    commander-in-chief,  to   be   handed  over  as 

security. 

When  these  terms  were  recited  in  the  Carthaginian 
Senate,  a  senator  rose  to  speak.  Hannibal  laid  hold 
of  him',  and  dragged  him  down.  The  assembly 
received  this  act  with  angry  shouts.  "  Pardon  me," 
said  Hannibal,  "  if  my  ignorance  has  led  me  to  offend 
against  any  of  your  forms.  I  left  my  country  at  nine 
years  of  age,  and  returned  to  it  at  forty-five.  The 
real  cause  of  my  offence  was  my  care  for  our  common 
country.  It  is  astonishing  to  me  that  any  Cartha- 
ginian who  knows  the  truth  should  not  be  ready  to 
worship  his  good  fortune,  when  he  finds  Rome  ready 
to  deal  with  us  so  mercifully.  Do  not  debate  these 
conditions  ;  consent  to  them  unanimously,  and  pray 
to  all  the  gods  that  they  may  be  ratified  by  the 
Roman  Senate." 

Ratified  they  were,  though  not,  it  would  seem,  till  the 


264 


THE    STORY   OF   CARTHAGE. 


foUowiii;-  \'car.  \\'( "  <  atdi  a  glimpse  of  the  old  days 
before  men  h<n\  learnt  tlie  use  of  iron  when  we  read 
how  the  heralds  wenl  to  Carthaj^^e  .  <iii  \  ni^  with  them 
the  knives  of  Hint  with  wliich  the  animals  offered  in 
sacrifice  wcie  to  be  slain.  The  Carthai^inians  surren- 
dered all  their  ships  of  war,  their  clepliaTit-;,  the 
deserters  who  h, id  come  o\>  .  them,  and  ,i.s  many 
as  k )ur  thousand  i)ris<inei>.  Hie  shii)s  of  one  kind 
and  another  numl)en -d  fuc  hundred.  S^  ij)io  ordered 
them  to  be  toucd  out  to  sea  and  burnt.  "The  .sit,du 
of  the  tlarneN  was  as  terrnble, '  .says  Ijvy,  "to  the 
vaiKiuished  iJeojjle  as  would  liave  been  that  of  their 
cit\-  on  fire." 

When  the  indemnit\-  came  to  be  paid  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  find  the  mone)  ;  and  there  were  loud  munnurs 
in  the  Senate  at  th(  a.  rih.  t  which  it  would  be 
necessary  to  make.  One  of  tlie  members  coin{)kiined 
to  the  \ lou.se  that  Hannibal  had  been  seen  to  lanirji  • 
and  this  though  he  was  really  the  cause  of  all  their 
troubles.  Then  the  great  man  spoke  out.  "  If  \ou 
could  see  ni}-  lieart  as  easily  as  \-ou  can  mv  f^ice,  \ ou 
would  know  that  my  laughter  i  omes  not  from  a 
joyful  heart,  but  from  one  almost  maddened  In' 
trouble.  And  yet  my  laughter  is  not  so  unrc  a-onablc 
as  your  tears.  You  ought  to  have  wept  when  our 
arms  were  taken  from  us  and  our  ships  were  burnt. 
Ikit  no;  you  were  silent  when  you  saw  your  countr}- 
stripped  ;  but  now  you  lament,  as  if  this  were  the 
death-day  of  Carthage,  because  \  ou  have  to  furnish 
part  of  the  tribute  out  of  your  private  mean.s.  I  fear 
me  niuch  that  you  will  soon  find  that  this  is  the  least 
of  the  trouble  you  will  have  to  bear." 


XV. 


HANNIBAL   IN    EXILE. 


It  was  true  that,  as  the  discontented  senator  had 
said,  Hannibal  had  been  the  cause  of  the  troubles  of 
Carthage  ;  .still  lie  was  too  great  a  man  to  be  an\'- 
where  but  in  the  first  place  ;  and  for  some  years  he 
l)racticallv  governed  the  State.       He   seems  to  have 
done  this  new  uork  well.     The  Court  of  Judges  at 
Carthage  had  usurped  a  power  which  did  not  belong 
to  them.     Every  man's  property,  character,  and  life 
were  'at  their  disposal  ;  and  they  were  unscrupulous 
in   dealing  with   it.     Hannibal   set   him.self  to  bring 
about  a  change  ;  he  carried   the  people  with  him  ; 
the  office  of  judge  became  annual,  and  it  was  filled 
up  by  election.     It  is  a  change  that  does  not  alto- 
gether commend   itself  to  us  ;  but  it  was  probably 
required  by  the  peculiar  condition  of  the  country. 

Another  reform  concerned  the  public  revenue. 
1 lannibal  made  a  searching  inquiry  into  what  came 
in,  and  what  was  spent,  and  he  found  that  a  very 
large  proportion  of  the  whole  was  embezzled.  He 
stated  these  discoveries  in  a  public  assembly.  The 
expenses  of  the  country  might  be  met,  the  tribute  to 
Rome  paid,  and  taxation  nevertheless  lightened,  if 
only  the  revenue  were  honestly  collected  and  honestly 


266 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


spent.  It  was  only  too  natural  that  these  proceedings 
should  make  many  enemies.  And  besides  those  who 
were  furious  at  the  loss  of  their  unjust  gains,  there 
were  doubtless  some  who  were  honestly  afraid  of 
what  Kannibal  was  aiming  at.  If  he  was  making 
Carthage  richer  and  more  powerful,  it  was  that  he 
might  plunge  her  again  into  a  war  with  Rome.  So, 
from    one   cause    or   the   other,  a    stroinj    i)artv   was 

*^        I.  > 

raised  against  him.  His  enemies  had,  it  is  said,  the 
meanness  to  accuse  him  to  the  Roman  Government. 
He  was  planning,  they  said,  a  new  war  in  concert 
with  Antiochus,  king  of  Ss'ria.  The  Romans  were  on 
the  point  of  war  with  this  i)rince,  and  were  ready  to 
suspect  their  old  enemy.  An  embassy  was  ^rnt  to 
Carthage,  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  bcipio,  to 
demand  that  he  should  be  given  up.  Ostensibly  the 
object  of  their  invasion  was  to  settle  a  dispute  between 
Carthage  and  Masinissa. 

Hannibal  knew  the  truth,  and  resolved  to  fly.  To 
put  his  enemies  off  their  guard,  he  showed  no  kind  of 
alarm,  but  walked  about  in  public  as  usual.  But  he 
took  horse  at  night,  reached  the  coast,  and  embarked 
in  a  ship  which,  in  anticipation  of  such  a  need,  he 
had  kept  in  readiness,  mh.I  sailed  to  Cercina  Kerkena\ 
It  was  necessary  to  conceal  the  fact  o(  his  flight,  and 
he  gave  out  that  he  was  ct,  ^ng  as  ambassador  to  T>'re. 
But  the  harbour  of  the  i^iand  happened  to  be  full  of 
merchant-ships,  and  the  risk  of  discov^ery  was  great. 
He  resolved  accordingly  to  escape.  The  captains  were 
invited  to  a  great  entertainment,  and  were  asked  to 
lend  their  sails  and  yards  for  the  construction  of  a 
tent     The  revel  was  long  and  late.     Before  it  was 


I 


HANNIBAL   WITH  ANTIOCHUS. 


267 


over  riannibrd  was  gone,  and  the  dismantled  ships 
could  not  be  made  ready  for  several  hours.  From 
Cercina  he  sailed  to  Tyre,  where  he  was  received 
with  great  honours,  and  from  Tyre  again  to  the 
j)ort  of  Antioch.  Antiochus  had  left  that  place 
and  was  at  Ephesus,  and  thither  Hannibal  followed 

him. 

Antiochus  of  Syria,  fourth  in  descent  from  Seleucus, 
one  of  the  Macedonian  generals  who  had  shared  be- 
tween them  the  empire  of  Alexander,  has  somehow 
acquired  the  title  of  the  "  Great."     He  had  little  that 
w  as    great  about  him  except,  perhaps,  his  ambition. 
His  treatment  of  Hannibal,  whether  it  was  the  result 
of  weakness  or  of  jealousy,  was  foolish  in  the  extreme. 
He  did  not  take  his  advice,  and  he  would  not  employ 
him.     His  advice  had  been  to  act  at  once.     Rome  at 
this  time  (195  B.C.)  had  to  deal  with  many  enemies. 
The  Gauls  especially  were  giving  her  much  trouble. 
If  Antiochus  could  have  made  up  his  mind  to  attack 
her  immediately,  the  result  might  have  been  different 
to  what  it  was.     As  it  was  he  lingered  and  delayed, 
and  when  at  last,  two  years  afterwards,  he  made  up 
his  mind  to  act,  the  opportunity  was  lost.     In  192  he 
crossed  over  into  Greece,  and  was  defeated  with  heavy 
loss    the  following  year  at  Thermopylae.     Hannibal 
was  not  employed  in  this  campaign.     But  he  was  sent 
to  equip  and  to  command  a  fleet.     There  was  nothing 
strange  in  this  variety  of  employment  ;  for  then— and 
indeed  the  same  has  been  the  case  till  quite  recent 
times— the   same    men    would   command    fleets    and 
armies  indifferently.     He  was  attacked  by  a  greatly 
superior  fleet  belonging  to  the  island  of  Rhodes,  then 


268 


Till 


)ky  i 


{RTHAGE, 


a  great  naval  power,  and,  though  successful  where  he 
commandctl  in  person,  was  defeated. 

In  tlie  -^ainc  }  ear  (190  was  fought  the  great  battle 
of  Magnesia.  W'liether  Hannibal  was  present  at  it 
wc  do  not  know  ;  but  an  anecdote  is  told  of  him 
which  bclon.,  tin's  time.  Antiochus  had  collected 
a  great  army-some  si.xty  or  seventy  thousand  in 
number — to  do  battle  with  the  Romans.  It  had  been 
gatliered  from  the  cities  of  Greece  and  from  Western 
Asia,  anfl  their  drc^^  and  armour  w.i^  as  splendid  as 
it  was  \.uniux  The  king  looked  with  pride  on  the 
ranks  glittering  with  gold  and  silver.  ''  Will  not  this 
be  enough  for  tlie  Romans  ?"  he  asked  of  Hannibal 
who  wa>  standing  by  his  side.  "  Yes,"  said  he,  with 
a  grim  jest,  **  \  cs,  enough  even  for  them,  though  they 
are  the  greediest  nation  on  the  earth!"  Hut  it  was 
of  the  si)()ils,  not  of  the  fighting  strength  of  the  army, 
that  he  was  si)eaking. 

The  battle  of  Magnesia  ended,  as  Hannibal  had 
expected,  in  tlie  utter  defeat  of  the  Syrian  army. 
Antiochus  was  ad\  ised  to  sue  for  peace.  Two  years 
afterwaivi^  ;ivS8j  it  was  j^ranted  to  him,  one  of  the 
conditions  being  that  he  should  give  to  Rome  such  of 
her  enemies  as  he  had  received  at  his  court.  He  ac- 
crptrMJ  tlu:  condition,  but  gave  his  guest  an  opportunity 
oi  cscapin;^. 

Various  stones  arc  toltl  of  Hannibars  movements 
after  his  flight  from  the  court  of  Antiochus.  Accord- 
ing to  one  account  he  sought  refuge  for  a  time  in 
Crete.  A  stor\'  is  told  of  him  here  which  very  likely 
is  not  true,  but  which  shows  the  common  belief  in  his 
ingenuity  and   readiness  of  resource.     He  suspected 


HASMBAL   IN  BITHYNIA, 


269 


the  Cretans  of  coveting  the  large  treasure  which  he 
carried  about  with  him.     To  deceive  them  he  filled  a 
number  of  wine-jars  with  lead,  which  had  over  it  a 
tliin  covering  of  gold  and  silver.     These  he  deposited 
with  much  ceremony  in  the  presence  of  the  chief  men 
.  »r  the  island  in  the  temple  of  Diana.     I  lis  real  treasure 
meanwhile  was  hidden  in  some  hollow  brazen  figures 
which  were  allowed  to  lie, apparently  uncared  for,  in  the 
l)orch  of  his  house.     From  Crete  he   is  said  to  have 
visited  Armenia,  and  to  have  founded  in  that  country 
the  cit>^  of  Artaxata.     It  is  certain,  however,  that  he 
spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  with  Prusias,  king  of 
Bith\'nia.      Prusias    was    at    war    with    Eumcnes    of 
Pergamus,   a   firm    friend    of    Rome,   and    Hannibal 
wilHngly  gave   him  his  help.     We  need  not  believe 
the  story  which  he  tells  us  how  he  vanquished  enemies 
in  a  sea-fight  by  filling  a  number  of  jars  with  venomous 
snakes  and  throwing  them  on  board  the  hostile  ships. 
For   some    years    he    was    left   unmolested  in   this 
refuge.     But  in  183  the  Romans  sent  an  embassy  to 
Prusias  to  demand  that  he  should  be  given  up.     The 
drmand  was  one  which  the  king  did  not  feel  able  to 
icM^t,  and  he    sent    soldiers    at    once   to    seize   him. 
Hannibal    had    always   expected    some   such    result. 
1  le  knew  that  Rome  could  never  forgive  him  for  what 
he  had  done,  and  he  did  not  trust  his  host.     Indeed 
he  must  have  known  that  a  king  of  Bithynia  could 
not  refuse  a  request  of  the  Romans  if  it  w^as  seriously 
made.     The  story   of  his   end,  ornamented  as  such 
htories  commonly  are,  tells  us  how  he  made  seven 
ways  of  getting  out  of  his  house,  and  that  finding 
them  all  beset  with  soldiers,  he  called  for  the  poison, 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


CHARACTER   OF  HANNIBAL. 


271 


which  was  kept  always  ready  for  such  an  emergency, 
and  drank  it  off.  Some  writers  say  that  he  carried 
the  poison  with  him  in  a  rin^— the  rini^  which 
Juvenal,  when  he  uses  the  example  of  Hannibal  to 
show  the  vanity  of  a  soldier's  ambition,  describes  as 
*'the  avenger  of  the  day  of  Cannae."  Livy  gives  us 
what  profess  to  be  his  last  words.  "  Let  me  free  the 
Roman  people  from  their  long  anxiet)*,  since  they 
think  it  tedious  to  wait  for  an  old  man's  death. 
Flaminius  [this  was  the  Roman  ambassador]  will  gain 
no  great  or  fam(»us  victory  over  a  helpless  victim  of 
treachery.  As  to  the  way  in  which  the  Roman 
character  has  changed,  this  tlay  is  proof  enough.  The 
grandfathers  of  these  men  sent  to  King  l^yrrhus,  when 
he  had  an  army  fightin<^  against  them  in  Italy,  warn- 
ing him  to  beware  of  poison  ;  but  they  have  sent 
an  ambassador  to  su;4gcst  to  Frusias  the  crime  of 
murdering  a  guest."  He  was  in  his  sixty-fourth  or 
sixty-fifth  year  when  he  died. 

Of  Hannibal's  character,  as  of  the  history  of  his 
country,  we  have  to  judge  from  the  narratives  of 
enemies.  His  military  skill  is  beyond  all  doubt.  In 
that,  it  is  probable,  he  has  never  been  surpassed.  His 
courage  also  was  undoubted,  though  he  is  expressly 
praised  for  the  discretion  with  which  he  avoided  any 
needless  exposure  of  his  life.  The  testimony  to  the 
temperance  of  his  habits  is  equally  clear.  The  chief 
charges  brought  against  him  are  treachery,  cruelty, 
and  avarice.  From  personal  avarice  he  w  as  certainly 
free,  but  a  general  who  has  to  make  war  support  itself, 
who  has  to  (ecd,  clothe,  and  pay  a  great  army  in  a 
foreign  country,  with  but  rare  and  scanty  supplies 


from  home,  cannot  be  scrupulous.  About  the  charge 
of  cruelty  it  is  not  easy  to  speak.  What  has  been 
said  about  Hannibal's  alleged  avarice  applies  in  a  way 
to  this  other  accusation.  A  general  situated  as  was 
Hannibal  could  not  but  be  stern  and  even  merciless 
in  his  dealings  with  enemies.  As  to  treachery,  we 
know  that  "Funic  faith"  passed  among  the  Romans 
into  a  proverb  for  dishonesty  ;  and  "  faithless"  is  the 
epithet,  as  we  have  seen,  which  Horace  applies  to  the 
great  general.  But  we  find  no  special  grounds  for 
the  charge,  while  we  may  certainly  doubt  whether  the 
Roman  generals  showed  such  conspicuous  good  faith 
as  to  be  in  a  good  position  for  censuring  others. 
There  was  no  more  honourable  Roman  than  Scipio, 
but  Scipio's  treacherous  attack  on  Syphax  during  the 
I)rogress  of  the  negotiations  is  at  least  as  bad  as  any- 
thing that  is  charged  against  Hannibal. 


CAT(/s   HOSTILITY    TO   CARTHAGE. 


^7i 


XVL 

TIIK    Itl  c;i\\T\(;   OF   THE   END. 

The  death  of  Hannibal  did  not  remove  the  sus- 
picion of  R( )ine  that  ( 'artliai^e  miglit  be  plotting  some 

mischief  Tlic  conditions  inifioscd  upon  her  by  the 
I'cacc  of  Flannibcd  a>  tiic  ircatv  made  after  the 
battle  of  Zaina  u  :is  called)  had  not  permanently  dis- 
abled her.  She  had  lost  lier  dominions  but  not  her 
trade  •  her  \var-^hij)s  had  been  destroyed,  but  not  the 
shijj^  m  in  1  luinmcrce;  and  she  had  ahva\s  in  her 
trcasui)    t'  >M    with    which    to   hire  new  armies. 

Onlv  twr  (*  \irs  h.ul  p.  I  since  the  conclusion  of 
the  })('•'  "  n    >he  offered   to  pay  up  at  once  the 

balance  ut  uic  indeinnitv  which  was  to  have  been 
sjiread  over  fift)  trs.  The  Romans  preferred  keep- 
liv^  this  hold  over  their  ancient  enemies  to  receiving 
the  monc}',  but  they  were  alarmed  at  this  proof  of 
how  ioiniiK  tciv  the  wealth  of  Carthage  was  restored. 
S(HM  ■  tin  \cars  later,  when  w^r  with  Macedonia  was 
threatening,  neu  nne  to  Rome  that  the  envo)'s  of 
the  Macedonian  kin;^  had  been  received  at  Carthage. 
Doubtless  the  cn\  had  been  sent ;  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  they  found  some  powerful  persons  ready  to 
listen  to  them — fur  there  was  still  a  war-party  in 
Carthage — but  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the 


i^Mivcrnment  had  had  any  dealings  with  the  enemies 
oi  Rome.    There  was  one  Roman  statesmen  by  whom 
tliese  suspicions  were  very  strongly   felt.     This  was 
M.ircus    Porcius    Cato,    commonly   called    the    Elder 
Cato,  to  distinguish  him  from  his  great-grandson,  Cato 
(»f  Utica,  the    republican   who   killed  himself  sooner 
lli.m  live  under  the  despotism  of  Caesar.     Cato  had 
M  rved  throughout  the  campaigns  of  the  Second  Punic 
War,  aiul   had  not  forgotten  his  experiences  of  that 
time.      Me  had  been  sent  to  inquire  into  the  causes  of 
a   war  that   had   broken   out  between  Carthage  and 
King  Masinissa,  and  he  had  been  much  struck  by  the 
proofs  of  wealth  and  power  that  he  saw  during  his 
\isit,  the  crowded  population  of  the  city  and  territory, 
the  well-appointed  fleet  and  the  well-filled  armouries. 
Returning  to  Rome,  he  related  in  the  Senate  what  he 
had  seen      "This  people,"  he  said,  "  is  stronger  than, 
ever.  Tlu:\-  are  i^ractising  war  in  Africa  by  way  of  pre- 
lude to  war  against  you."    As  he  spoke,  he  threw  down 
from  a  fold  in  his  robe  a  bunch  of  ripe  figs.     "The 
country  that  bears  these,"  he  cried,  as  the  senators 
admired  the  beautiful   fruit,  "  is  but  three  days'  jour- 
ney from  here."     One  is  not  certain  whether  he  meant 
that  it  was  so  near  as  to  be  dangerous,  or  that  it  could 
be  easil}'  reached.     Anyhow,  from  that  time  he  never 
ceased  to   take  every    opportunity  that  occurred   of 
expressing  his  opinion  in  the  Senate.     Whatever  the 
matter  might  be  that  was  being  voted  upon,  he  added 
the  words,  "And  I  also  think  that  Carthage  ought  to 
be  blotted  out."     With  equal  pertinacity  one  of  the 
Scipios  (surnamed  Nasica,  or  "  Scipio  of  the  Pointed 
Nose),   a  near  kinsman  of  the  conqueror  of  Zama, 


274 


THE  STORY  OP  CARTHAGE. 


added  to  every  vote,  "  And  I  also  think  that  Carthage 
ought  to  be  left." 

Carthage  had  a  dangerous  enemy  at  home  in  King 
Masinissa.     lie  had   begun  hTe,  as  we  have  seen,  by 
serving  with    i lasdrubal   Barca    in    Spain,    had   then 
changed  sides,  and  fought  on  the  side  of  the  Romans 
at   the  battle  of  Zama.     He  had    been    handsomely 
rewarded  for  these  services.     His  father's  dominions 
had   been    restored  to   him,  and   to  these  had   been 
added  the  greater  part  of  the   kingdom  of  S>'phax. 
For  more  than  fifty  \r;irs  he  was  continually  engaged 
in  enlarging  his  boruLi>  at  the  expense  of  Carthage, 
and  he  alwa}'s  felt  that  he  could  rely  on  the  help,  or 
at  least  the  countenance,  of  the  Romans.     Carthage 
was    forbiildcn    to    make  war   on   her   neighbours  in 
Africa  witliout  the  leave  of  Rome,  and  all  that  she 
could  do  in  return  for  Masinissa's  aggressions  was  to 
send  to  appeal  to  tluit  power  to  protect  her  against 
the  wrongs  that  she  ^  i<  compelled  to  suffer.     More 
than  once  the  RomanN  ^cnt  commissioners  to  inquire 
into  her  complaints.     Once,  indeed,  possibly  oftener, 
these  commissioners  decided   against    Masinissa,  but 
they  generally  left  the  matter  unsettled.    Anyhow,  the 
king  went  on  with  his  encroachments,  and  generally 
contrived  to  keep  what  he  had  laid  his  hands  upon. 

In  151  this  quarrel  broke  out  into  open  war.  Masi- 
nissa had  a  part\'  of  his  own  in  Carthage.  The  demo- 
cratic or  war  party  expelled  forty  of  it.",  principal 
members,  imposing  at  the  same  time  an  oath  upon  the 
people  that  they  would  never  allow  them  to  return. 
The  exiles  fled  to  the  king  and  urged  him  to  make 
war.     He  was  willing  enough,  for  he  had  his  eye  on  a 


AFRICANUS    THE    YOUNGER. 


275 


town  which  he  particularly  coveted  ;  but  he  first  sent 
one  of  his  sons  on  an  embassy  to  Carthage  to  demand 
redress.     The  prince    was  not   admitted    within    the 
works,   and    was   even    attacked  on    his  way    home. 
Masinissa  then    laid    siege   to   the   town.     The  Car- 
thaginians sent   Hasdrubal,  their  commander-in-chief, 
against  him.     They  were  joined  by  two  of  the  king's 
chief  officers,    who  deserted,  bringing  with  them  as 
many  as  six  thousand  horse.     In  some  slight  engage- 
ments that  followed   Hasdrubal  was  victorious  ;    and 
the  king  made  a  feint  of  retreat,  and  drew  Hasdrubal 
after  him  into  a  region  where  supplies  could  not  easily 
be  obtained.     A  battle  soon  followed.     The  old  king 
—he  was  eighty-eight  years   of  age — commanded  in 
person,  riding  after  the  fashion  of  his  country,  without 
saddle  or  stirrup.     No  very  decided  result  followed, 
but  the  king,  on  the  whole,  had  the  advantage.  There 
was  present  that  day,  as  spectator  of  the  conflict,  a 
young  Roman  who  had  much  to  do  with  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  story  of  Carthage.     To  give  him  the  full 
title  which    he    bears    in    history,    this    was    Publius 
Cornelius    Scipio  i^milianus    Africanus    Minor.     He 
was  a  son  of  a  distinguished  Roman  general,  ^milius 
Paullus,   the  conqueror  of  Pydna,i  and  grandson   of 
the  itmilius  Paullus  who  fell  at  Cannae.      He   was 
adopted  by  the  elder  son  of  the  Scipio  Africanus,  the 
conqueror   of   Zama,    whose   weak    health  prevented 
him  from  taking  any  part  in  public  affairs.*     He  had 

'  Pydna  was  the  great  battle  (fought  in  169)  l)y  which  the  Macedonian 
kingdom  was  brought  to  an  end.     See  '*  The  Story  of  Rome,"  p.  163. 

2  The  young  reader  may  observe  that  he  took  the  names  of  the 
family  into  which  he  was  adopted,  adding  to  them  that  of  his  own  ^mx, 
altered  from  iEmilius  into  ^milianus,  according  to  the  practice  w  c^ 
of  adoption. 


2y6 


THE  STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


been  serving  with  a  Roman  army  in  Spain,  and  had 
come  to  Masint^^a  for  the  purj)osc  of  purchasing 
elcpliants.  He  had  privilege  of  seeing  the  battle 
from  a  liill  that  overlooked  the  plain,  and  afterwards 
said  (we  probably  get  the  story  from  his  friend  Poly- 
bius)  that,  though  he  had  been  present  at  many 
battles,  he  had  never  been  so  much  pleased.  "  I  saw," 
said  he,  "  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  men  meet  in 
combat.  It  was  a  sight  such  as  two  only  ha\-e  <.Q^n 
before  me,  Ziuis  from  the  top  of  Ida,  and  Poseidon 
from  Samothrace,  in  the  Trojan  war." 

Scipio    undertook   to    arbitrate    between    the   two 
parties.     The  Carthaginians    offered    to  give  up  the 
country  round   Emporia,  or  the  Markets  {mm  Gabes 
and  Terba),  and   to  pay  two  hundred  talents   down 
and  eight  hundred  more  m  instalment'^  •  but  when  the 
king  demanded  also  the  surrender   oi   ihc   fucn'tives 
the  negotiations  were  broken  off.     I  lasdrubal  ought 
now  to  have  taken  up  a  position  which  it  would  have 
been  possible  for  him  to  hold,  but  he  neglected  to  do 
so.     He  expected  another  offer  from  Masinissa,  and 
he  also  had  hopes  that  the  Romans  would  interfere 
in  his  favour.     His  delay  was  fatal  to  him.     Famine, 
and  the  fever  that  always  follows  on  famine,  wasted 
his  army.     In  the  end  he  was  obliged  to  accept  the 
most  humiliating  terms.     The  exiles  of  Masinissa's 
party  were  to  be  taken  back  into  the  city  ;  the  fugitives 
were  to  be   surrendered;  an  indemnity  of  five  thou- 
sand  talents  was  to  be  paid,  and  he  and  his  soldiers 
were  to  pass  through  the  hostile  camp,  unarmed  and 
with    but    a  single    garment    apiece.      The   helpless 
fugitives  were  attacked  by  one  of  the  king's  sons  at 


■W! 


EXPEDITION   AGAINST   CARTHAGE. 


277 


ine  head  of  a  force  of  cavalry,  and  cruelly  slaughtered. 
Dnlv  a  very  few,  among  whom  was  Hasdrubal  him- 
self, returned  to  Carthage. 

But   worse   remained    behind.      The   Carthaginian 
rrovernmcnt     condemned    to    death    Hasdrubal    and 
those  who  had  been    most  active   in   promoting  the 
war.       But  when  the  ambassadors   whom  they  sent 
to    Rome  pleaded   this    proceeding  as  a  ground   for 
acquittal,  they  were  asked,  ''  Why  did  you  not  con- 
demn them  before,  not   after  the  defeat?"     To  this 
there  was  no  answer  ;  and  the  Roman  Senate  voted 
that  the  Carthaginian  explanation  was  not  sufficient. 
"  Tell   us,"  said  the    unhappy  men,  "  what  we  must 
do?"     "You  must  satisfy  the   Roman  People,"  was 
the   ambiguous  answer.     When  this  was  reported  at 
Carthage,  a  second  embassy  was  sent,  imploring  to  be 
definitely  told  what  they  must  do.     These  were  dis- 
missed with   the  answer,  "The  Carthaginians  know 
this  already."  Rome  had  accepted  the  pitiless  counsel 
of  Cato,  and  Carthage  was  to  be  blotted  out.    If  there 
was  any  doubt,  it  was  dismissed  when  envoys  came 
from  Utica  offering  the  submission  of  that  city.     The 
consuls  of  the  year,  Manilius  and  Censorinus,  were 
at  once  dispatched  with  a  fleet  and  an  army.     Their 
secret  instructions  were    that    they   were    not   to  be 
satisfied  till    Carthage    was   destroyed.      The   forces 
which  they  commanded  amounted  to  nearly  a  hundred 
thou.sand  men.     The  expedition  was  popular  ;  for  the 
prospects  of  booty  were  great,  and  volunteers  of  all 
ranks  thronged  to  take  part  in  it.     The  news  that  the 
fleet  had  sailed  was  the  first  intimation  that  Carthage 
received  that  war  had  been  declared. 


2^^ 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


Tl-e  Carthaginian  government  still  hoped  that  an 
absolute  submission  mi^ht  save  them.  They  sent 
another  embassy  to  Rome  with  full  powers  to  grant 
any  terms  that  mi^^^ht  be  asked.  The  answer  that 
they  received  was  tliis:  "  If  the  Carthaginians  will  give 
three  huniircd  hostages  from  their  noblest  families, 
and  fulfil  all  other  conditions  within  thirty  d  "  they 
shall  retain  their  independence  and  the  possesMon  of 
their  territf )rv'."  But  secret  instructions  were  also  sent 
to  the  c( insuls  that  they  wnre  to  abide,  whatever 
might  happen,  by  their  first  instructions 

The  hostages  were  sent,  after  a  miserable  scene  of 
l>arting    from  their    friends.     But    few    believed   that 
submission  would  be  of  any  avail.     And    indeed    it 
was  soon  seen  to  be  useless.     The  consuls  demanded 
that  the  arms  in  the  city  should  be  given  up.   The  de- 
mand was  accej)ted.  Two  hundred  thousand  weapons, 
more  darts  and  javelins  than  could  be  counted,  and  two 
thousand  catapults  were  given  up.     Then  the  consuls 
spoke  again.     -  \'ou  must  leave  Carthage  ;  we  have 
resolved  to  destroy  this  city.     You  may  remove  your 
furniture  and    property  to  some  other   place,  but  it 
must  be  not  less  than  ten  miles  from  the  sea."     And 
they  adiled  some  reasons,  which  must  have  sounded 
hke  the  cruellest  mockcrv',  why  they  .should  be  con- 
tent with  this  decision.     *'  You   will  be   better  away 
from  the  sea,"  they  said  in  effect  ;   "  it  will  only  re- 
mind you  of  the  greatness  which  you  have  lost.     It 
is  a  dangerous  element,  which  before  this  has  raised 
to  great  prosperity  and   brought  to  utter  ruin  other 
countries  besides   yours.      Agriculture  is  a  far  safer 
and  more  profitable  employment     And,"  he  added, 


WAR  DECLARED. 


279 


"  we  are  keeping  our  promise  that  Carthage  should  be 
independent.  It  is  the  men,  not  the  walls  and  build- 
ings of  the  city,  that  constitute  the  real  Carthage."  ' 

The    return    of  the  envoys  had  been  expected  at 
Carthage    with    the   utmost    impatience.      As    they 
entered    the    gate    of    the    city    they   were    almost 
trampled  to  death  by  the  crowd.     At  last  they  made 
their  way   into    the   Senate-house.     Then    they    told 
their  story,  the  people  waiting  in  a  dense  throng  out- 
side the  doors  of  the  chamber.     When    it  was  told, 
a  loud  cry  of  dismay  and  rage  went  up  from  the  as- 
sembly ;  and  the  people,  hearing  it,  rushed  in.  A  fearful 
scene  of  violence  followed.  Those  who  had  advised  the 
surrender  of  the  hostages  and  of  the  arms  were  fiercely 
attacked.     Some  of  them  were  even   torn  to  pieces. 
The  envoys  themselves  were  not  spared,  though  their 
only  offence  had  been  to  bring  bad  news.     Any  un- 
lucky Italians,  whom  business  had  happened  to  detain 
in  the  city,  fell  victims  to  the  popular  fury.     A  few 
more  wisely  busied  themselves  with  making  such  pre- 
parations for  defence  as  were  possible,  for  of  course 
there  was  but  one  alternative  now  possible.     Indeed 
the  Senate  declared  war  that  same  day. 

Mt  is  difficult  to  believe  that  these  abominable  sophistries  were  ever 
really  uttered.  But  we  have  good  reason  for  supposing  that  Appian, 
from  whom  we  get  the  report  of  the  Consuls'  speech,  copied  it  from 
Polybius,  an  excellent  authority.  The  historians  of  antiquity,  however, 
bad  a  passion  for  putting  speeches  into  the  mouths  of  their  characters, 
and  were  not  always  particular  about  their  authenticity. 


u 


I 


lllll 


THE    WALLS   OF  CARTHAGE. 


281 


XVI  I. 


THE  SIEGE   AND    lAl.L   (>t    (  ARTIIAGE. 


Till-:  Cartha<:^!ni<-in  L^overniiicnt  did  their  best  to 
defend  tlicir  cit}'-  (  )ik'  I  lasdrubal,  the  same  that  had 
been  condemned  to  death  in  the  \ain  hof)e  of  jiro- 
pitiatin^  the  Romans,  u  a^  aj)i)ointed  to  command  tlie 
forces   outside   the  ,     nother  liad  the  control  of 

those  within  the  walls.  Tlic  manufacture  of  arms 
was  carried  on  niglit  and  dav,  l>y  men  and  women 
alike,  even  the  temples  and  sacred  enclosures  hcini^ 
turned  into  workshops.  A  luindred  shields,  three 
hundred  swords,  d  thou^aiiii  j.uLiin-i  i*-  Im  thrown  by 
the  catapults,  were  made  (l;iil\'.  The  women  are  said 
to  have  cut  off  their  hair  for  the  eoni-  of  the  cata])ults, 
for  which  the  horseiiair  tliat  was  commonly  used  was 
wanting. 

The  wall  of  Carthaj:,'c  had  a  circumference  of  about 
eighteen  miles.  It  was  about  U )rt\'-six  feet  high,  iuul 
thirty-four  feet  thick.  The  ht  ii^lit  is  tiiat  of  what  is 
called  ihcarr/(u'/i  of  the  wall.  i.t\  the  {portions  between 
the  towers.  Tlic  towers  were  of  four  stories,  an( 1  much 
higher.  Where  the  sea  came  up  to  tlie  fortifications — 
and  as  the  citv*  was  built  upon  a  |)en insula,  this  w;is 
the  case  with  the  greater  part  of  the  circuit — a  sin;^:i 
wall  was  deemed  sufficient  ;  but  on  the  land  side,  /e. 


to    the    north     and 
south,  the  wall  was 
triple.    Appian  tells 
tliat  the  three  walls 
were  of  equal  height 
:ind  breadth.     This 
is  incredible,  because 
^uch  an  arrangement 
would  have  been  use- 
less.    Ihe  hrst  wall 
once    taken     would 
have    given   the  be- 
sie<'(  r^  such   an  ad- 
vantage      that     the 
second    would    have 
soon  become  unten- 
able.     No    trace    of 
an\-    such    kind    of 
fortification    can    be 
discovered  either  at 
Carthage  or  in  any 
ancient  town.     The 
real  meaning  of  i\u 
author  —  possibly 
Polybius  --  from 
whom  Appian  quo-    | 
ted,  seems    to   have 
been    this.       There 
were    three    ditches. 
Behind  the  inner  of 
the    three,    the   wall 
proper  was  built. 


28.2 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


i] 


Then  came  the  advance  wall,  much  lower  than  the 
wall  proper,  and  in  front  of  this  the  second  ditch  ; 
possibly  there  was  an  outer  defence  of  palisiidcs, 
itself  protected  by  a  third  ditch.  The  traces  of 
exact Iv  such  a  system  of  fortification  are  to  be 
found  at  Tha[)sus.  Within  the  casemates  of  the 
main  wall  there  was  room  for  three  hundred  ele- 
phants, four  thousand  cavalry,  and  twenty  thousand 
infjintry. 

The  harbours  were  so  arranc^ed  that  ships  had  to 
pass  throu^li  the  one  to  reach  the  other.  The  outer 
harbour  was  meant  for  merchant  ships,  and  its  entrance 
from  the  sea  was  closed  with  iron  chains.  In  the 
inner  harbour  were  kept  the  shi|)s  of  war.  There  u  .is 
an  island  in  it,  and  ( )n  this  island,  as  well  as  round 
the  sides  of  the  harboiu*,  were  slips  in  which  two 
hundred  and  twenty  vessels  could  be  placed.  The 
island  also  contained  the  admiral's  house.  This  was 
so  hii:^h  that  he  could  ^^et  a  view  of  all  that  was  going 
on  outside.  Between  the  two  harbours  there  was  a 
wall  so  high  that  it  was  not  possible  to  look  from  the 
outer  into  the  inner.  There  was  a  separate  entrance 
from  the  town  to  the  outer  harbour.  The  inner  or 
military  harbour  was  evidently  guarded  with  the 
greatest  care. 

Manilius  directed  his  attack  on  the  landward  side 
of  the  wall  ;  Censorinus  attempted  a  part  which, 
being  partlv-  protected  b\'  a  lagoon,  w  ;ls  1c>s  strongly 
fortified  than  the  rest.  The  outer  fortifications  wxre 
carried,  but  no  further  progress  was  made.  Indeed 
the  besiegers  had  some  serious  losses,  as  Hasdrubal, 
with  his  lieutenants,  among  whom  a  certain   Himilcu, 


f,mm^m  II   ■  Hill  II 


WW¥i^n»wrF^wTr* 


THE    ROMAXS   LOSE    THEIR    ALLY   MASINISSA.     285 


I 


suniamed   Fhainieas,   was  conspicuously    active,  con- 
tinually attacked  any  detached  parties. 

Thini^s    seemed    more    hopeful    when    Censorinus, 
havini^    filled    up    part    of   the   lagoon,   brought    two 
iKittcriniT-rains    to    bear    on    the    wall,   one    of  them 
worked    by  six   thousand   soldiers,  the    other    by   as 
nian>'  sailors.      The  force  of  these  brought  down  part 
of  it  ;  and  the  Carthaginians  built  up  again  this  por- 
tion in  the  night.    The  new  work  was  not  very  strong. 
Then  the  besieged  made  a  furious  sally,  set  some  of 
the  works  on  fire,  and  made  the  whole,  for  a  time  at 
least,  unserviceable.     The  next  day  the  Romans  at- 
tempted an  assault  b>'  a  part  of  the  breach  which  had 
not  been  repaired,  but  were  rci)ulsed  witli  heavy  loss. 
Censorinus  now  found  that  his  crews  suffered  from 
the  climate,  for   it  was   the  height  of  summer.     Ac- 
cordingly  he    transferred  his   ships    from  the  lagoon 
to  the  open  sea.     The  Carthaginians  took  every  op- 
portunit)',   when    the   wind   favoured,  of  sending   fire 
ships  among  the  Roman  fleet,  and  thus  did  it  a  great 
deal  of  damage. 

The  Roman  commanders  continued  to  conduct 
their  operations,  with  little  skill  and  as  little  success. 
And  just  at  the  time  when  they  most  needed  his  help 
they  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  their  ally  Masinissa. 
There  had  been  a  coolness  between  the  old  man  and 
his  Roman  friends,  he  conceiving  that  he  had  been 
rudely  put  aside,  and  that  the  task  of  dealing  with 
Carthage  had  been  unfairly  taken  out  of  his  hands. 
And  now  when  the  consuls  sent  to  ask  his  help— he 
had  promised  to  give  it  ic/ztv/  t/ay  (rsked  for  it,  and 
this  they  had  been  too  proud  to  do— they  found  him 


I      1 


I 


i 


286 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE, 


dying.  Fie  had  completed  his  ninetieth  }'ear,  retaining 
to  the  last  his  vigour  of  mind  and  body.  The  other 
inveterate  enemy  of  Carthage,  the  old  Cato,  had  died 
a  few  months  before.  Scipio,  who  had  been  dis- 
tinguishing himself  during  the  siege  uis  entrusted 
with  the  task  of  dividing  the  old  king>  uuininion  and 
wealth  between  his  three  sons.  One  of  these,  Gulus.sa 
by  name,  became  at  once  an  active  ally,  and  was 
found  especially  helpful  in  repelling  the  attacks  of 
Phamccas  with  his  light  cavalry.  It  was  not  indeed 
long  before  Phama-as  himself  was  induced  by  Scipio 
to  desert  his  friends. 

A  change  of  commanders,  Manilius  and  Cen.so- 
rinus  giving  place  to  Piso  and  Mancinus.  did  not 
bring  a  change  for  the  better  in  the  conduct  of  the 
siege.  This,  in  fact,  was  almost  given  up,  the  new 
consuls  busying  themselves  with  assaults  on  the 
neighbouring  towns.  Calpurnius  was  particularly  un- 
fortunate at  Mippo  (now  Bizerta),  where  all  his  siege 
works  were  dcstro\ed  by  a  sally  of  the  townspeople. 

The  spirits  of  the  Carthaginians  rose  in  proportion 
to  the  discouragement  of  the  Romans.  Some  of 
Gulussa's  cavalry  had  deserted  to  them  ;  and  the  two 
other  sons  of  Masinissa,  though  nominally  friendly  to 
Rome,  stood  aloof  and  waited  U )r  what  might  happen. 
Envoys  were  .sent  to  them  and  to  the  independent 
Moors,  representing  that  if  Carthage  fell  they  would 
be  the  next  to  be  conquered.  Communications  were 
also  opened  with  the  Macedonian  pretender  who  was 
then  at  war  with  Rome.  Unfortunately  the  Hasdrubal 
who  commanded  outside  the  walls  coveted  the  position 
of  his  namesake  in  the  city.     I Ic  accused   him   of 


SCIPIO  IN  COMMAND, 


2^9 


treachery — it  was  his  misfortune  to  be  closely  related 
to  Gulussa ;  the  unhappy  man,  surprised  by  the 
charge,  faltered  in  liis  defence,  and  was  murdered  in 
the  Senate-house,  his  senators  striking  him  down 
with  the  fragments  of  the  benches. 

At  Rome  every  one  had  expected  a  speedy  end 
to  the  siege,  and  there  was  great  vexation  and  even 
alarm  at  these  long  delays.  All  eyes  were  fixed  on 
the  one  man  who  had  showed  real  capacity  for 
command,  and  fixed  the  more  earnestly  on  account  of 
the  fortunate  name  that  he  bore.  It  had  been  a 
Scipio  who  had  brought  the  w^ar  of  Hannibal  to  an 
end  ;  it  was  to  be  a  Scipio  who  should  complete  his 
work  and  destroy  Carthage  itself.  The  young  soldier 
went  to  Rome  to  stand  for  the  office  of  i^dile — not, 
we  may  guess,  without  some  notion  of  what  was  going 
to  happen.  The  people  elected  him  to  the  consulship. 
The  consul,  who  was  presiding,  protested.  Scipio 
was  thirty  seven  years  old,  and  was  therefore  under 
the  legal  age.  The  people  insisted  ;  they  were  the 
masters  of  the  elections  and  could  choose  whom  they 
would.  The  tribunes  threatened  to  suspend  the  pre- 
siding consul,  unless  he  gave  away.  He  yielded  ;  as 
did  Scipio's  colleague  when  it  came  to  choosing  the 
province  which  each  consul  should  have.  This  was 
commonly  determined  by  lot,  but  the  people  was 
resolved  that  Scipio  should  have  Africa,  and  it  was 
so  arranged. 

The  new  commander's  first  exploit  was  to  rescue 
Mancinus  from  a  dangerous  position  into  which  he  had 
got  himself  Anxious  to  do  something  before  he  was 
superseded,  he  led  a  storming  party  against  a  weak 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 


point  in  the  wall,  and  actually  made  his  way  into  the 
town.  But  he  was  not  stronj,^  enough  to  advance, 
and  could  barely  maintain  his  hold  of  what  he  had 
j^'ained.  His  colleague  Fiso,  though  summoned  to 
help  him,  made  no  movement;  but  Scipio,  who,  on 
reaching  Utica,  had  received  a  despatch  describing 
the  Nituatir»n,  hastened  to  the  spot,  and  carried  off 
Mancmus  and  his  part\-  m  safety.  The  two  consuls 
shortly  afterwards  returned  to  Rome,  and  Scipio  set 


THE   HAR BOCKS   -  >F   CAKTHA- 


KIJING   TO  BEULfi). 


himself  to  restore  the  (liscii>line  and  order  which  the 
lax  rule  of  his  predecessors  had  suffered  to  decay. 
He  purged  the  Roman  camp  of  a  crowd  of  idlers  and 
plunderers  which  had  collected  there,  and  left  nothing 
but  what  was  manageable  and  serviceable.  His  first 
operation  was  to  storm  a  quarter  of  the  city  which 
went  by  the  name  of  the  Megara,  and  was,  it  would 
seem  the  abode  of  the  wealthier  class.     The  assault 


HARBOURS   OF   GARTH  ACE    (ACCORLING   TO  DAUXV 


ATTACK   ON   THE   MEGARA. 


293 


was  made  by  two  parties,  one  of  them  led  by  Scipio 
in  person.  Neither  could  make  its  way  over  the  wall  ; 
but  a  tower,  belonging  to  some  private  dwelling, 
which  had  been  unwisely  allowed  to  stand  though  it 
commanded  the  fortification,  was  occupied,  and  some 


ARRANGEMENTS  OF  THE    BERTHS   (ACCORDING   TO   BEULt). 

of  the  besiegers  made  their  way  from  it  on  to  the  wall, 
and  from  the  wall  into  the  Megara.  They  then 
opened  one  of  the  gates,  and  Scipio  with  a  force  of 
four  thousand  men  entered.  He  did  not,  however,  feel 
it  safe  to  remain,  for  the  place  was  full  of  gardens,  and 
its  hedges  and  watercourses  made  it  difficult  ground 


PLAN   OF   WALL   AT    BYRSA. 


for  the  action  of  troops  ;  but  the  operation  had  its 
results,  the  most  important  of  which  was  that  the 
army  outside  the  walls,  fancying  that  the  city  was 
taken,  abandoned  its  camp,  and  retreated  into  the 
Byrsa  or  Upper  City. 


f 


17^ 


THE   STORY  OF  CARTIIAGF. 


Hasdrubal,  enraged  at  this  movement,  retaliated 
by  a  barbarous  massacre  of  all  the  prisoners  in  his 
hands,  lie  brouglit  the  i)oor  wretches  to  the  edge 
of  the  wall,  subjected  them  to  the  cruellest  tortures, 
and  threw  them  ii( )wn  still  alive  from  the  height. 
After  such  an  act  the  besieged  would  feel  that  they 
had  no  hope  of  mercy. 

Tlie  siege  now  became  almost  a  blockade.     Scipio 
burnt  the  cam|)  u  liich  the  outside  army  had  deserted 
in  thei;-  panic,  and  was  now  master  of  the  neck  of  the 
peninsuhi  on   wliich   tlic  ciiy   -^tood.     No  more  f(»od 
could  be  introduced  overland,  and  the  supplies  which 
came  bv  sea  were  small  and  i)recarious.     The  next 
step  was  to  block  up  the  harbour.     Scipio  constructed 
a   great  wall  across  the  mouth.      So  huge  was  the 
work  that  the  besieged  at  first  believed  it  impossible, 
but  when  they  saw  it  advance  rapidl),  the  whole  army 
labouring    at    it    niglit   and    da>',   they  began    to    be 
alarmed.     Their  own  encrgv  u  as  not  less  than  that  of 
the  besiegers.      They  dug  a    new  channel  from  the 
harbour  to  the  open   sea,  and,  while  this  wor^    was 
being  carried   on,  they  built   also  fifty  ships  of  war. 
The  besiegers  knew  nothing  of  what  was  being  done, 
though  they  heard  a  continual  sound  of  hammering. 
Their  astonishmc:u  was  very  great  when  a  fleet,  of 
whose  existence  they  had    not   an    idea — for  all  the 
ships  had  been  given  ui)  and  dcstnived — issued  forth 
from  a  harbour  mouth  which   had   never  been  seen 
before.     The  Carthaginian-,  in  great  glee,  manoeuvred 
in  front  of  the  Roman  fleet.     If  they  had  attacked  it 
promptly,  they  mignt  have  done  it  irreiiarable  damage, 
for  the  ships   had   been  left   almost  entirely  without 


ENGAGEMENTS   BETWEEN    THE    FLEETS.       293 

protection.  As  it  was,  they  contented  themselves 
with  a  demonstration,  and  then  returned  to  the  har- 
bour. It  was  an  opportunity  which  never  returned.  It 
was  fated,  says  the  historian,  that  Carthage  should  be 
taken.  Two  days  afterwards  the  two  fleets  fought  ; 
but  by  this  time  the  Romans  were  prepared,  and 
the  battle  was  drawn.  The  next  day  it  w^as  re- 
newed, and   then  the  CarthaginiarLS  were  decidedly 

worsted. 

A  determined  effort  was  now  made  on  the  harbour 
side  of  the  city.  The  rams  were  brought  to  bear  upon 
the  walls,  and  brought  down  a  considerable  part  of  it. 
But  the  Carthaginians  made  a  furious  sally.  They 
plunged  naked  into  the  lagoon,  carrying  unlighted 
torches.  Some  waded  through  the  shallows  ;  others 
swam.  Reaching  the  land,  they  lighted  their  torches 
and  rushed  fiercely  on  the  siege  works.  Many  were 
killed,  for  they  had  neither  shields  nor  armour  ;  but 
nothing  could  resist  their  charge.  The  Romans  gave 
way  in  confusion,  and  the  siege  works  were  burnt. 
Even  Scipio,  though  he  ordered  the  flying  soldiers  to 
be  cut  down,  could  not  check  the  panic.  The  day 
ended  in  a  great  success  for  the  besieged. 

When  the  winter  with  its  cooler  weather  drew  on, 
Scipio  turned  his  attention  to  the  region  from  whir^ 
Carthage  drew  what  supplies  it  could  still  obtain. 
His  lieutenant  Lcxdius,  in  concert  with  King  Gulussa, 
attacked  and  defeated  with  enormous  loss  fthough  it 
is  difficult  to  credit  the  figures  of  seventy  thousand 
slain  and  ten  thousand  prisoners)  an  army  of  native 
allies.  The  food  supply  of  the  besieged  city  was 
now  almost  cut  ofT,  but  Hasdrubal  had  still  enough 


I 


THi:    STORY  OF  CARTHAGE. 

to  support  his  .c^arrisnn.     TIic  rest  of  the  population 
were  left  to  starve. 

With  the  bei(innini^  of  146  Scipio  prejiared  for  an 
attack  on  the  Upi)er  City  and  the  I laroour  of  the 
\Var-shij)s,  or  Cothoii,  as  it  was  called.  The  Harbour 
\v<is  taken  first,  the  resistance  of  the  bcsieired  beincf 
feeble  and  desultory.  From  the  Harbour  Scipio  made 
his  \va)'  into  the  nei^dibourinj;  market-i)liice.  lu'en 
he  could  not  clicck  liis  troops  in  the  plunder  of  the 
rich  temple  of  Apollo.  They  are  said  to  have  strii)i)ed 
from  the  statue  and  shrine  as  much  as  a  thousand 
talents  of  i(old. 

The  next  thing  to  be  done  was  the  attack  on  the 
per  City.  Three  streets  led  up  to  it  from  the 
inarkct-i)lare,  each  < >f  six-storied  liouses,  from  which 
tlie  garrison  and  many  of  the  citizen  [><)})ulation  kept 
u[)  an  incessant  fight  witli  the  Ix  si.  -n  s.  1  louse  after 
house  was  stormed,  tlie  defenders  bein;^^  nrradually 
forced  back  by  sui)crior  streni^th  and  discii)line. 
An( )ther  conflict  was  '  irr  on  meanwhile  in  the 
streets,  tlie  Romans  strugj^lini;  ii|)  each  of  the  three 
roads  till  they  gained  tlie  Upper  Cit\'.  W'lien  that 
was  accomplished,  Scii)io  ordered  tlie  streets  to  be  set 
on  fire.  The  scene  of  destruction  which  followed  was 
terrible.  A  number  of  non-combatants,  old  men, 
women,  ;md  children,  had  hidden  themselves  in  the 
houses  tliat  were  now  blazing.  ^,ome  threw  themselves 
on  to  the  Sfxiars  and  swords  of  the  soldiers ;  some  were 
burnt  in  their  hiding  jilact  ^  ;  some  Hung  themselves 
from  the  windows  into  the  streets.  Matn-  were  buried 
or  half-buried  under  the  ruins,  for  the  pioneers  w  ere 
busy   clearing  a  way  U >r  the    troops,  and   did   their 


FIGHTIXG   IN   THE   CITY. 


297 


work  careless  of  the    living  creatures  that  came  in 
their  wav. 

For  six  days  and  nights  these  horrors  continued, 
described,  it  must  be  remembered,  by  an  eye-witness, 
the  historian  Polybius  ;  for  it  is  from  him,  there  is 
little  doubt,  that  Appian  has  borrowed  his  vivid 
description  of  the  scene.  The  troops  worked  and 
fought  in  relief  parties.  Scipio  alone  remained 
unceasingly  at  his  post  He  never  slept,  and  he 
snatched  a  morsel  of  food  as  the  chance  came  to 
him.  On  the  seventh  day  a  train  of  suppliants  came 
from  the  temple  of  /Esculapius,  which  stood  con- 
spicuous at  the  summit  of  the  citadels.  They  begged 
that  the  lives  of  such  as  still  survived  might  be 
spared.  Scipio  granted  the  request,  but  excepted 
the  deserters,  and  fifty  thousand  men  and  women 
availed  themselves  of  his  grace.  The  deserters  shut 
themselves  up  in  the  temple — there  were  nine  hundred 
of  them,  all  Romans— and  with  them  Hasdrubal  and 
his  wife  and  their  two  sons.  The  place  was  im- 
pregnable, but  their  position  was  hopeless,  for  there 
was  no  fighting  against  hunger. 

Hasdrubal  contrived  to  escape  from  his  companions, 
and  threw  himself,  humbly  begging  for  life,  at  the 
feet  of  Scipio.  The  boon  was  granted,  and  the 
Roman  general  showed  his  prisoner  to  the  deserters, 
who  were  crowded  on  the  temple-roof.  They  bitterly 
reproached  the  coward  who  had  deserted  them,  and 
then  set  fire  to  the  temple.  When  the  flames  were 
burning  fiercely,  the  wife  of  Hasdrubal  came  forward. 
She  had  dressed  herself  with  all  the  splendour  that 
she  could  command,  and  had  her  two  children  by  her 


2()H 


THE   STORY   O;*^   CARTHAGE, 


side.  TurninjT  first  to  ^i  ipn*.  ■.Iil-  ^ai'l,  '  On  thee,  man 
of  Rom  '  call  no  ven^^cancc  from  heaven.  Thou 
d< )st  but  use  the  ri^dit-,  (.f  war.  l^ut  as  for  this 
Ilasdriibal,  this  traitor  to  his  country  and  his  gods, 
to  his  wife  and  to  his  chik Iren,  I  {)ra\'  that  heaven, 
and  tliou  as  the  instruim -nt  of  hc.iven,  may  punish 
him."  Then  she  turned  to  her  hushaiKl.  "Villain, 
trait( >r.  arvl  cowaid,"  -Iv  cried,  *'  I  and  my  children 
will  fmd  a  tomb  in  tlit ■  dames,  but  thou,  the  mighty 
Ifcneral  of  Cartlia^r-,  wilt  .idorn  a  Roniiin  triumi)h!" 
Slie  then  -'.u  Ivi  children,  threw  their  bodies  into 
the  flam     ,  .iwl  followed  tlvMn  hrrsclf. 

Thus,  aticr  s  -vcn  ccnturirs  oi  -leatness,  Carthage 
fell.  rile  corKjutror,  as  he  looked  on  the  awful 
spectacle,  burst  into  tears,  and  murmured  to  himself. 
as  he  tliought  of  the  fate  which  had  overtaken  empire 
after  emi)ire,  and  whicfi  would  one  diiy  overtake  his 
own  countr}-,  the  lines  of  Homer,  in  which  Hector 
fo r c tells  the  d oo m  of  T  r o v. 

The  soldiers  were  [iermitted  to  plunder  the  city, 
but  all  the  g( )ld  and  silver  and  all  the  treasuries  of 
the  temi)les  were  rc^crxcd.  Military  decorations  were 
liberally  distributed,  but  none  of  the  troops  who  had 
as>isted  in  the  spoliation  of  the  temple  of  Apollo  were 
tlius  distinguished.  The  Sicilian  cities  were  informed 
that  thev  might  regain  [Kissession  of  the  works  of 
art  wliich  the  Carthaginians  h.id  carried  off  during 
a  centur)'  and  a  half  of  w  arfare  Agrigentum  regained 
her  famous  lUiU  of  Phahiris  ;  Segestii  her  statue  of 
Diana.  The  name  of  Scipio  African  us  was  long 
honoured  by  the  Sicilians  for  this  act  of  honesty. 
Before  a  hundred  years  had  passed  they  were  to  lose 


D 
W 
v> 

•J 
O 

u 

z 

< 

u 

< 


I 


I 


SUCCESSORS   OF  CARTHAGE, 


301 


their  treasures  again,  not  by  the  fortune  of  war,  but 
by  the  shameless  robberies  of  a  Roman  governor.^ 

The  city  was  razed  to  the  ground,  and  a  curse 
was  pronounced  on  any  one  who  should  rebuild  it. 
Notwithstanding  this,  some  twenty  years  later  the 
younger  Gracchus  carried  a  proposal  for  founding  a 
colony  of  six  thousand  citizens  on  the  site.  It  was 
never  carried  into  execution.  Neither  was  the  simi- 
lar plan  which  some  eighty  years  afterwards  was 
conceived  by  Julius  Caesar.  Augustus,  however, 
founded  a  Roman  Carthage,  which  soon  became  a 
prosperous  city.  But  with  this  my  story  has  nothing 
to  do.  This  is  finished  with  the  fall  of  Rome's 
great  Phoenician  rival. 

*  See    the   account    of   Verres  in    a    classical    dictionary,    and   in 
**  Tlic  Stu,y  ot  Rome,''  p.  202. 


INDEX   TO    THE    TEXT    AND    THE 

NOTES. 


. 


i 


Acer1)as,  3,  6 

Ac  I  a,  96 

A(i  herbal,  157 

Adrumetum,  162 

-Kgusa,  163 

/Kgates   Islands,    battle    of,    163, 

164 

/Eschines,  122 

.  Ksculapius,  temple  of,  297 

,Kthiopians,  97 

A-Ana.,  eruption  of,  53 

/Ktna  (tdwn),  55 

Agalhocles,  tyrant  of  Syracuse, 
75;  defealcnl  at  the  Hiniera, 
76  ;  l>esieged  in  Syracuse,  77  ; 
escapes,  //'.  ;  lands  in  Africa, 
80;  defeats  the  Carthaginians, 
82  ;  takes  Utica,  85  ;  returns  to 
Syracuse,  iif.  ;  comes  back  to 
Africa,  86;  iminisoned  by  his 
soldiers,  88 ;  escapes,  89 

Agrigentuni,  22,  27  ;  taken  by 
Himilco,  41,  67,  122  ;  taken  by 
the  Romans,  132,  133  ;  237, 
298 

Alalia,  battle  of,  1 4 

Aletes,    117,  180 

Alexander  the  Great,  89 

Allol)roges,  188 

And>er,  122 

Anagnia,  234 

Anio,  234 

Antiochus,  254,  266,  268 
Appian.  128,  279,  281,  297 
Aranibys.  96 


Archagathus,  85-87 
Arcliimedes,  236 
Aristotle,  102- 108 
Arnu-nia,  269 
Artaxala,  269 
Ashtaroth,    113 
Athena'us,  125 
Avienus,  icx) 

B 

Balearic  Islands,  35,  75 

Baltic  Sea,  122 

Bencvrntum,  liattle  of,  230 

Hoarding  apjiaratus,  134 

Bomilcar,  Suffete  of  Carthage,  his 
treachery,  82  ;  attempts  a  revo- 
lution and  is  jiut  to  death,  83 

Britain,  100,  122 

Bruttu,  226,  253 

Byrsa,  5,  293 


Cabala,  battle  of,  66 

Camarina,  taken  by  Himilco  (i), 

Cambyses,    king   of  Persia,  plans 

the  contjuest  of  Carthage,  18 
Campanian  mercenaries,  37,  1 29 
Cannx-.  battle  of,  218-224 
Capua,  joins  Hannibal,  225  ;  be- 
siege 1   by   the    Romans,    232  ; 
surrenders.      235  ;     its    severe 
punishment,  ib. 
Caravans,  118,  II9 
Carbuncle,  see  Carthaginian  stona 


304       IXDEX    TO   THE    TEXT  AND   THE   NOTES. 


Caricon,  96 
Carrha^'iiiian  stone,  121 

r.irthalo,  13 
(Vitaoa,  53 

*  itafiuhs,  newly  invented,  49 

•  a((»,  tlir  I'.liier,  273,  277,  286 
Cat  111  us  (Lu  tat  ills),  1 63 

<  ■t'ii^..riiiu^.  277-286 

<  inina,  206 
Ctrriif.  ()7,  98 

*'hr(.n(.  Moloch 

(.-ineas,   ■■  > 

< ' last i<l turn,  ^'tjo 

< 'laiuiius  (Apimis),  131,  132 

<  iaiHiiu-.  (A[,|.ni.),  2,  _'  ]() 

* -':^ii(liu        '  in    Spain.  241  ; 

marches  to  j..m  liis  rullfat^'iie 
Li V i us ,  249  ;  c  k- fc a t s  H  asii  ru  bal 
at  the  Mftamus,  250-252 

<  1  iiKiius  ( I'ubliusi,  I  37,  158 
^-•luh  irtha^t.',  hx) 
CIy|iea,  147,  152 
Comnion  meals,  106 

Corinth,  mot  her -city  of  Syracuse, 

70 

--,.  122 

■> '..HI 1 01 1,  *:i^o 

< 'rettv  -"(''X.  269 

Crinit  battle  of,  72-74 

Crispin  us,  247 

Crocfxliles.  98 

Cronium,   DionvMu,   defeated  at, 

67 
Crotona,  226,  253 

rns-dulics,  1 16,  II7 
uyprus,.  4 
Cyrene,  117 

Dagon,  113,  114 

Daphnxus,  jS,  39 
.Deinocra?"^..  "^ 

.Demeter,  ..  .  .iiipof,at  Carthage, 
60 

Drxippus,  37,  41 

1  >ulo,  3-8 

DifKloius,  117 

Dionysius  (the  Elder),  attempts  to 
relieve  Cela,  43  ;  makes  peace 
with    Carthage,    44;    declarer 


war  against  Carthage,  47  ;  at- 
tacks Motya,  //'.  ;  takes  it  l)y 
storm ,  5*) ;  'i c fea t *•(  1  by  Hi m i I c< > 
at  Catana,  53  ;  retreat^  («.  Syra- 
cu^t^'.  55  ;  makt  N  successful  at- 
tack on  lliinilc.i,  57  ;  allows 
Himilco  to  escape,  S9  ;  declares 
waruith  Carthage  and  defeats 
Mago,  64  ;  reiuws  the  w.ir,  tii, ; 
is  defeated  at  Cronium,  67  ;  ju^ 
death,  68 

Dionysius  (the  \'ounger),  tyrant  «.f 
Use,  70 

|)repvUHim,    battle    of,    157,    158, 
160.   163 

r)u(arius,  209 

iHulius,  137 


Ecnomus.  battle  of,  138- 140 

l*"i.:<'Nta,  28,  298 
I'-iLu,  122 

Elephants,  121    Sec  also  accounts 

of  battles 
Elissa,  see  Dulo 
En  tell  us,  68 
i:ryx,  36,  68,  159- 1 65 

Etruscans  H>^if  n? 

Eumenes,  269 


Fabius,  apix)inte<I  dictator,  212; 

his  policy  »>f  delay,  212,   213; 

outwitted    by     Hannibal,    ik  : 

his  unpopularity,  i/>.  ;    recovers 

Tarentuni,    246  ;    crowned     at 

Rome,  260  ;  dies,  lA 
Fair  Promontory,  14,  15 
Flaminius,  defeated  and  killed  at 

Trasumennus,  207-21 1 
Flaminius  (ambassador  to  Prussia), 

270 
Frrgcllx,  234 
I'uivms,  234,  245 


Cades,  186 
Cala,  240 
Cauls,  81 


INDEX    TO    THE    TEXT   AND    THE    NOTES. 


305 


<  1  e  I  a ,  t  a  k  e  n  1  >  v    11  i  i  n  i  1  co   ( l ) .    ;  ;  ; 

llr^iL'gl■(l  by  1  iainiliwr.  "'> 
delon,  ol  .Syr  '   '  ■   '1  iaiiul- 

car  (2),  2('.     , 

<  I  ( )0    I  7 :; 

I  :,.  I  .,f  1  iaiinil)al  (i),  29 

(..i^vw,  lather  ol   liastjiiibal,  240 

Cisco,  218 

(inrillas.  00 

(  ji  irri.      .     I  il).   S.,    230 

tiiaccluis  (tlu'  \  Munger),  30I 

Culu>-.i,  zSh,  2S0,  2<)5 


H 


Ibil 


:il\TU>,  I IV' 


■4 


IbiiiiiliMt    ( I  I.  suit  ol    M.T!.';>.  con- 

II. 1'  ■  t2l  iir.  :>.  ^2   27 

II. 1  ,1    crmiKUpU  »  aitlia- 

giiiian    arm\     aL',.iMi>l     Ag.itlio- 
-  :  lomuis  ai  1  Imiera, 

;;.  .   , ,,  ,.v  ^       Svraciise,  77  ;   liis 

death,   82 
H.inii!«Mr      14).       (■('iviniair!'  1      at 

I  ;-.,    1  S^ 

llainiicai  liaica  (31.  aj>in>iiitol  to 
I'onmiand  tlcci  .ml  annv.  U>' .'  : 
b..M^   lb  , 

ail  a  Ills      war     against 

Ivonian-,  i"i  it>4  :  •"  ''^'■'*  '•'■ 
vouralik  uiiiis  o!  |'ea>x.  "'-'  ■ 
takes    command  against  n 

II  171  :  Itreaks  blockade  of 
(  arlhag.-,  172;  defeats  nurcc- 
narit  attacks  caiuj)  at 
TuiK^,  ijw  .  fmi-lie-  war  with 
niercenarus,  177  ;  riKses  int') 
S)iaui,   17^  :   tiis  cnn<iut.:sts  and 

^.  170 

itauuil)ai  (II      invades     Sicily, 

2S-  34  :  invaib  s  it  again,  35  ; 
dies,  3S 

ll.umit>.i;  mmandcr  in  Sicily, 

'  >  V  C)4i  C)7 

llanmuai  13),  lieutenant  in  mer- 
cenary war    i-b.  177 

Hannibal  (4'  liatred  against 

ki  .in--,  iSi  :  Ins  character,  iNi  ; 
cam|>aignagain-i  Spanisli  inbr-,, 
182;    besieges  SagunUim,    i/>.  : 


H 


II 
II 
II 


takes  il,  1S4;  in  winter  (|uarlei> 
nl  Nrw  (".irtliagr.  1S5;  crosses 
llie  kbnt,  iS()  ;  hisdie.uii,  /A.  . 
cro^->cs  the  I'yrenies.  //'.  . 
cruises  the  khniu;,  1S7  ;  (-if^se- 
llie  AI|'S,  |S<)  104  ;  descends 
into  Italy,  194  ;  Ins  losses,  //'.  .• 
attacks  the  laiirini,  105  ;  con- 
queis  the  knniai;^  at  the 
'lieiinis,  100  100  :  at  the 
Trel>ui,  2*>i  2(i:^;  winters  m 
Liguiia.  2(»<)  ;  ni  peril  o(  his 
life,  //>.  :  crwN>es  tlie  marshes 
of  tli<-  Atn.i,  //■.  :  lo-es  an 
eve,  207;  defeats  tlie  Romans 
at  Irasumemuis.  207-209  ; 
repulsed  at  S|)uletium,  210  ; 
rests  at  llathia,  211  ;  his 
polic}',  //'.  ;  his  eampaign  with 
I'abiu^,  212  2i()  :  wintering 
at  ( iiioiiiuin,  217  :  <lefeals 
K<mi.U)~.  at  ( ".iniKe,  222;  refuses 
to  inarcli  oii  Rome,  22}  ;  gains 
Capua,  225;  sends  M.igD  to 
Cartliagi-,  227  :  neglecied  by 
the  h'  'ine  geivernmeiil,  22S  ; 
uniuis  \n  (Japua,  //'.  ;  liesieges 
Nnia,  //'.  ;  attempts  to  sei/e 
Tarentuni,  229;  gains  Taren- 
tuni, 2^1  ;  attempts  to  relieve 
(  .i]aia,  2y2  :  inarches  on  Rome, 
2}}  ;  retiie^,  235  ;  defeats  Ful- 
vnis  at  Ilerdonia,  245;  hears 
of  liaMlrubars  death,  252  ;  his 
masterly  generalship  in  South 
Italy,  253  ;  recalleii  home,  259; 
defeated  at  /a ma,  262  ;  advises 
peaer,  20^  ;  in  jiower  at  Car- 
tilage, 2' '5  ;  hi-  reforms,  i7>.  ; 
llies,  2')i>  ;  a  I  the  court  of  An- 
tiochus.  2(j7  ;  his  answer  to 
Antiochus,  26S  ;  i)ossibly  at 
Crete,  209:  with  I'rusias  of 
Rithvnia,  269,  270;  his  death 
and  eharacier,  270,  271 
anno  (1).  Sutfcle  of  Carthage, 
killed  in  battle,  82 
anii't  12).  tlie  navigator,  95-IOO 
anni)  (3),  131 

ann..  (4),  132,  133,  1 39,  I40 
anno  (5),  163,  164 


306       IXDEX   TO   THE    TEXT  AXD   THE   NOTES. 


I lanno,  the  (; reat  ( 6 ) ,  171-177 
llanno,  leader  of  peace   parly  at 

Carlhaj^'e  (7),  183,  227 
Han  no  «.S).  187 
Han  no  (91,  ,'   ■        J  at  Ucncvt'ii- 

turn,  2  JO 
I  { a n  n • .  { I o ) ,  com  mand s  i n  S ici  1  y , 

-37 
Hann<»  (11),  coinniands  in  Sjiain, 

Hasdrubal  (i),  son  of  Maf^r,,,  16,  17 

Ilasdruhal  (2),  (son -in  law  of 
ilannlcar  Itarca),  hi^  caini.ai|^ns 
in  S[)ain,  179,  180;  ahsa^^l- 
naled,  180 

liasdruhal,   lieutenant   of  Ilaiun 
bal  (3),  2 [9 

flasdruhal,  hrollier  of  Hanrnhal 
(4),  left  in  con  nil  and  in  spam, 
186  :    I,;  ,   will.    iIh- 

>cipio:s  .y,   _.|i  .  ,  .■-'•■ ,  \rro, 
241  ;  defeated  bv  S  ;,         i mim 
mis,    24 J  ;    cr«  into    I'     . 

248  ;  defeated  an<i  slain  at  the 
Metaurus,  250 

Hasdruhal,  son  of  (d'sco  (^),  240- 
289 

Hasdrubal  (6).  con un an* is  in  the 
'^"'    '  '     ■  ■■       \  280-300 

I  lelu  t  v\    u.ime>,    11 

Ilelirews,  their  relations  to  Tyre, 
10,  II 

Helisyki.  \    '       u.  {?)    2c 

I        ■  ■  100 

'''  - ^-  j.  4-     -Ve  Mflcarth 

Herculo,  I'illars  of,  90,  1 18 

Herodotus.  113,  118 

Ultra,  itSj,  164 

Hiero,  130   \  12.  176,  229 

lIieronyinu>,  jjo.  2]6 

Ihmcra,    tir>t    hauK'   of.    26.    ?-  : 
•second  fat  tie  of,  32  ; 
by    Hannibal    {i},  una 

battle  of,  76 

Himiico  (i)  invades  S- -i-  ^5-45  ; 
operates  ajjainst  U  -,us,  48* 
49;  rt'turns  to  iarlhai^r,  40  ; 
again  appointed  to  c< .111  mand, 
51  ;  takes  Massana,  marches  on 
Syracuse,  besieges  the  citv,  re 
duced  to   extremities,    y  58 ; 


^^'■■M'**"-^  ithage,   5'i  ;  com- 

iints  suiciilc,  <jo 
Huji-'       '2),  discoverer,   lOO,  loi 
Him  ;),   154 

I  Imulc.)  (4I,  236 
HipI>o,  1 68,  286 
Hipfx.potamus,  98 
Horn,  S.nuliern,  99 
Horn,  \Ve>tern.  99 
1 1'  'r.K  e,  140.  2  V) 
Human  sacntr  r 


no 


)3»  3iS,  86, 


Iirltns,  6 

IlK'nauN.      See  ^jjanisli  troops 

Iberus  (Kliro),  180 

lil'lur^i-.  239 

1  mil  nils.  2  y  » 

Iron,  122 

Isrre,  1 88 

It.di.m    tiuTt'cnnrii'v,    2^,   29,     '' 

also    L'.iin 
l>aman  mercenaries 
Ivory,  122 


Junius,  158 


Kings  of  Carthage,  102,  103 


Lxlius,  258,  262 

I.,  el  I  us  Hhv  \'ounger),  295 

L.iMiuis,  237 

LeailuT  money,  122,  123 

Lrtiiitmi.  44 

i.ejiiinis  (l)rother  of   Dionysius), 

^^  -i,  57  ;  killed  at  the  battle 
uiuni,  67 
i,.rpli>,   I  15 
I.il»y-I*h.eniciaii>.  oh 
lagyes  (Ligurians),  25,206 
Lilvbi'um,    fort   of,    besieged    h\ 

I'loiivMiw,  68.  72:  attacked  by 

I'yrrhus,      91  ;      besieged     by 

Komans,  154   105 
I.ilybai'um,  promontory,  7? 
L I  para,  122,  134 


IXDEX    TO    THE    TEXT   AXD    THE   NOTES.        307 


LiriN,  river,  234 

Livuis  (colleague  of  Nero),  248, 

249 
Livius  (in  command  atTarentum), 

230,  231,  246 
Livy    (historian),    128,    181,    184, 

193,    222,    234,   238,   253,   259, 

264, 276 
Lixii.e.  97,  98 
Lixus,  river,  97 

M 

Macar,  river,  171 

Macedonia,  272 

Magnesia,  battle  of,  268 

Mai^o  (  I ),  king  of  Carthage,  13 

Mago  121.  Admiral,  53 

Mago  131,  Carthaginian  general, 
attacks  Dionysius.  04  ;  defeated 
by,  i/k  ;  invades  Sicily,  65  ;  is 
killed  at  Cabala,  66 

Mago  (4),  writer  on  agriculture, 
124 

Mago  (5),  brother  of  Hannibal, 
201  ;  sent  to  Caithage  with 
news  of  Cannx,  227  ;  in  Sjiain, 
240-244  ;  goes  to  Liguria,  ?/>.  : 
takes  Minorca,  254;  recalled 
home,  259  ;  dies,  /Ik 

Maharbal,  210,  223 

M.dchus,  12,  13 

Malgernus,  3 

Malta,  17 

Mamertines,  130,  131 

Mancinus,  286,  289 

Manilius,  282,  286 

Manlius,  138,  142 

Marcellus  appointed  to  command 
army  after  Cann.e,  227  ;  re- 
lieves Nola,  228  ;  besiegOB 
Syracuse,  236  ;  takes  it,  237  ; 
campaigns  with  Hannibal,  245- 
247  ;  his  death,  248 

Marcius,  241 

Massilia,  122 

Masinissa  defeats  Syphax,  240 ; 
goes  with  Hasdrubal  to  Spain, 
id. ;  with  Scipio  in  Africa,  257  ; 
destroys  the  camp  of  Syjjhax, 
257j    258 ;    at    variance    with 


Carthage,  266  ;  encroaches  on 
Carthaginian  dominions,  274  ; 
defeated  by  Hasdrubal,  275  ; 
is  victorious,  iVf.  :  triumphant 
over  Carthage,  277  ;  dies,  286 

Matho,  167-179 

Megara,  the,  293 

Melcarth,  1 10-113,  '86 

Melita,  96 

Menander,  120 

Menes,  19 

Messana,  44,  130-132 

Metaurus,  battle  of,  249-252 

Mines,  117 

Minucius,  215,  216 

Moloch,  38,  108,  109 

Motya,  besieged  by  Dionysius, 
47-51;  recovered  by  Himiico, 

Mutines,  237 
Myke,  battle  of,  137 

N 

Naravasus,  176 

Native  Carthaginian    troops,  66, 

72,  74,  75,  82,  85,  146,  262 
Naxos  (Sicily),  21 
Nemausus  (Xismes),  186 
New  Carthage,  180 ;  captured  by 

Scipio,  242 
Nola,  228,  260 


Olympias,  89 


O 


Pachynus,  158 

Panormus  ( ralermo),  25,  67,  153, 
160 

Paullus  (/Kmilius)  appointed  Con- 
sul, 217  ;  slain  at  Cannae,  222 

Peloruni,  52 

Pentarchies,  105 

Pergamus,  269 

I'eriplus  of  Ilanno,  95-IOO 

Persephone,  worship  of,  at  Car- 
thage, 60 

Pestilence,  38,  44,  56,  67,  236 

Phalaris,  298 

Phamseas  (Himiico),  286 

Phidias,  1 20 


3:j8    ixdex  to  Tin:  ttxt  axd  the  notes. 


riiilip,    kiiii;    of   .Maceddii.    220, 

Fiin-iii  10.   II,    IS 

11a,  ,    ^ 

ri  lit  a  nil,   100.  2  IN 

/'o/ifi,  "  '    'le 

rulylHu^.  i^.^,  14U.  1  ■)  ;i,  222.  25S. 

2t»2,    27<).  2S1,  297  " 
rri.Hi.,i">..  2')*  J 
.I'yrrhi!  \i 

Rfr"-'--  .       'iiiiKuiii     ■'     ■      ■    '■ 
«»'  i  '■'^  :    I  H         ...    ,.„,..,., 

14,^  :  I  luifs,    14, t  ;   (It 


147  ;   sv\\\    a,:>  i'ln « »v   t' * 

(ic.iih.   151 

Khi,>  ■■•-,  *' '  ■•f    "^s 

kh(.i       .  iS;.   iS.S 

knmt;,  early  t;  with,  14^  10 

S 

^  1  l;  u  1 1 1  u  m .  I  So  ;  besiege*  1  l>y  1 1  an  - 
mbal,  i*H2  ;  taken,  1.S4 


-5^  ;     lit-       uiiiiaitirts    in    tliat 

(  «iuntr\  .:4(>;  his  death,  240 

hi>  tat  her  \    lite   ut    the    i  K  Mills, 

199  i     'Ml"    ■  '     '     to    ll  n- 

inrui'!  in  S'      ...  242  ;  t:.i.,.         ,r- 
ll  •iefeats    Ihistinih.il 

if  illt'  I    A  I  1  ;.M, 

p,l!n    .■::■  ;i- 

.iL'::;ii    !' '   Atrii  .1,    234  ;   ■  ' 
'  :   liiitns  the 

,*^\-['nj\,    2;^  ;     \  .ui.jiu^hf 

j  '!i.l\    .ill  i     I  i  .1-  ;r:,.I  .,,1! ' 


I  - 


tl 


<v",l, 


ira,  121 


.Sardinia,     invaded    by     M  d 

Hij''^  '       iiruvi,iiun,>  u>  I,,  .irttt 

63,  '■':■      '■'-'  by  ( 'arthage,  1 

Saturn,  Inch 

Seipio,    *„"n  ■••ent    m 

l8<);   deieat^    llasdr 
defeats    the    tl. 
by     I'uhiius,     /,  .     ,  v ,      V 
Pub! ills)  ;   his  deatlu  24! 
St  i[>i«>  I  i'uhiius),  sent 

uf  the  Rhone,  186  ;  inis>e-  I  i 
nibal,  1S9  ;  returns  to  It 
ik  ;  marches  against  Hanni 
195  ;  defeated  and  wonniiec 
the  Ticinus,  199;  move-  '■• 
I'rcbia,  //'.  ,-  returns.  ;, 


lius, 

77 
ill. 


'Utfl 
A\i- 

ily, 
>al, 

1  at 
the 
tin. 


\iiiv.irui>    Minor,    h: 
■-  ''n!.    275  ;   arlMi '    *        '       ■.  =    u 
M.,t  -•  m!^.-.a.  and  (    . . ,  ■-<    • 

'^ni-iies      hi  III-' 
■■■  '  :     .1.1. 
'1    M.i^iii 

i  ' "  ■      '  " '  '      (.oiuiu.f     1      ,u, 

'.  .U"t  I,    .„, ■  ,  rf'sr-tiC'-     M  .11- 

(  imiv,    200  ;     I .  rder    10 

>toriii>   the   .Me- 
i>[Uiites  a  1)1 

^•J-i   .     ...  -  1  ..,■   .^>    tfie      I  '[>!"-*'      ' 

atid    (.'.ijitiirr-.    !!.    2')7  :    lii- 
th..'(i  lolls,  ,1    of 

t  hr  '-[M  111,    /.''. 
'^I'll'li  ',    \,l-,i,  .1,    273 

S'  ':'  ;    at     war     with 

akeii     hy    Ilan- 
nilial  I  I  1.  4> 
>t.'iiijironni-  '"■    '■   '     :it 

IVehi.l,   2 
^'■i<ate  ol    (  .>,    104,   105 

1  \  ilius.  211,  21  ^ 
,^^li|>s  built   l>y  Kemie,   Ij.j,  162 
•Niioplietini,  loj 
Sikel  tribes,  44,  47,  59,  65 
Sinu;^«^Iiiig,  1 17 
.^1  ti<  »ei  -,  « »() 
Sojthoiu-lia.  244 

Spainsh  troops  of   Carthage,  25, 
^'^    -     35.   59»    l85'  JSt>»   202. 

>[>eiidius,  167-179 


IXDLX    TO    THE    TEXT   AXD    THE    XOTES.      309 


Spoletunn.  210 

SuttrtrN,    i(,-^ 

>y[ih,i\.  2  ^o.   2  1 1.  2;7   2^9 

^yraniM  -clou,  26  ;   by 

I  >iony>ii;  /.  ;   l)e>ieged 

by  I  liiniL.i,  _-,j   j,^ 
S}rti>,   115 


Tanit,   113,  114 
Tarentum,  220,  230,  246 

laurini,  195 
'raiironieniuni,  64 

I  ,120 

r  119 

i  IK nnopyhe,  267 

Theron,  26,  38 

I  hyniiaterium,  96 

I  ieum-.  lattle  of,  196 

Tifala,  Mount,  2  ^i 

'I'nnoleoii,  sails  to  Syracuse,   71  : 

d-'-'o-s  war  against   Carthage, 

leals    Carthaginians    at 

the  Criiiiessas,  72-74  ;  his  death, 

mm  f- 

/5 


Trasumennus,  battle  of,  207-211 
Tril)ute,  115,  110 
Iriton.  113 
'rrojj;i,,,i\ta',  97 
Tunes   (  runi>),    12,  60,  144,    16S, 

172,  170 
Tuseuluni,  234 
Tyre,  3,  10,  11,  266 

u 

Utica,  5,  12,  168,  176,  257,  277. 
290 

V 

Varro,  217,  221,  222,  226 
Venus.      See  Ashtaroth 
\'enusia,  247 
Virgil,  his  legenJ   of  Dido.    7  (), 

121 

X 

Xantippus,  145,  146 


Zama,  battle  uf,  260-262 


The  Story  of  the  Nations. 


In  the  story  form  the  current  of  each  National  life 
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THE  STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS. 


GREECI'      f'"" 
ROME 

THi^  JI„  ■■ 

i:u:r. 

CHALDEA.     Z 
GERM  AW.     S 
NORWAY.     1 1 

sr'Ai" 
II 


Tin: 


1 1 


Till-,  M' 

I 

Tin 

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ALEX  AX  I) 

A  ■ 

T ,  ,  '  f  S 

IRK 

MEiJiA.  i; 

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1 


1 .    1 


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J.* 


THf: 


Kr>. 


THE  JEWS  UXDER  ROM!' .     W. 
I).  ' 

SCOTLAXiJ.     .l.'ini   "     '      * 

PORTUCVE.      n     M 

THE  BYZAXTIX  :i'iKiv.     C 

SICILY  1 

THE       TLSC.VX  ' 

Bella  Du-liy. 


WD     W  U   \r, •■■'■■,•! 


^i  l.VX     kl -CI) VERY 
,  \ .      ( ;  r  , :  . 

.     Ai-RIi :A.     '■.  NL 

.  Wi.L 


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'-:    ":i>L\.     R. 


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nil 

.;Lii  \ . 

1. 
XIES. 

.Miller. 
Wni. 

J' 

ixniA. 

.- 

lA. 

T.  W. 

...   <^ . 

Rliys- 

WIF, 

XT 

ARY 

EXGl 

'.AXD. 

I    M 1-:  U .......  V . ,.  J  ^A  X  D.       Mary 

Batfson. 

'IHi:  ard 

1 ••- 


\ 


^ 


Heroes  of  the  Nations. 


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of  tlie  Nations  to  which  iluy  liclonged,  and  who  have 
been  acctjitid.  in  ina.ny  instanc'cs,  as  types  of  the 
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National  conditions  surrounding  liim  during  his 
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The  narrali\'e-;  'iro  the  work  of  writers  who  are 
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HEROES  OF  THE  NATIONS. 


i 


NELSON.     By  W.  Clark  Russell. 
GUSTAVUS  ADOLIMR'S       Hv  1'. 

R.,  L„  !■■   '■   ■ 
PERICLI":S       ;,,   ,.,vlyn  Ablx.lt. 
THEO DORIC    THE    GOTH.     By 

Thomas  H'MiKkin. 
SIR  PHHJP  SIDNEY.     By  H.  R. 

F<  K-B  lurnc. 
JULIUS  C/ESAR.     By   \V.   \^ '-  ' 

VowlvT. 

W'VdAl'       By  Lev,  ait. 

NAl*f<iJ:()N',     By     W.  nor 

Morn;>. 
HENRY  OF   NAVARRE.     By   I*. 

I:'\  Willert. 
CICEKf).     By     J.     L.     Strachan- 

I'  ..ri. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN.     By  Nnah 

U 
PRIM  .>    .i  i:\RV    (OF    P( U^TT-- 

GAL)      THE      >:AV1(;.,  , 

By  C.  R.  Biazley. 
JULIAN    T 1 1 E    PI II LOSOPII E R. 

By  Ali>-e  Ganiner. 
LOUIS  XIV.      By  Arthur   H 
CHARLES    XII.     By     R. 

Bain 
LORKXZO  [)!••  MEDICI.     By  E*i- 

warii  Ar 
JE  ^.V'V"':     iy.Mxy.  .      iiy     Mrs.     Oli- 

CIIRIST'  R COLUMBUS.    By 

W 
ROBERT  THE   BRUCE.     By  Sir 

Hfrliert  Mil 
HAXXIBAL.     i.y      W.     ( )"C.-uii.  r 

Morris. 
U L Y SS I-: S  S  G R A X T .     By  William 

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Alexander  White. 
THE  CID  CAM  PEA  DOR.     By  IL 

Buller  Clarke. 
SALADIX.       By     Stanley      Lane- 

I''    :- 
BISMARCK.       By    J.    W.    Head- 

latii. 
A L E X A N D E R  T H  E  G R EAT.     B y 

Benjamin  I.  Wheeler. 
CHARLEMAGNE.     By   H.   W.  C. 

Davis. 
OLIVl-R         CROMWELL.         By 

Charles  I'lrlh. 
RICHELIEU.     By  James  B.   Per- 
kins. 
DAXILL  OCOXXELL.     By  Roh- 

)unlop. 
SAIM      LOUIS     (Louis      •"- 

I'ranee).      Bv   l'r;'den>,  k    i  <  ;i>. 
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I),,  '.. 

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W E L L I N GTO X .     By  W .  O 'Connor 

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CONSTANTINE  THE  GREAT.  By 

J.  B.  Firth. 


Other  \-oluTTies  in  |)ri'|)aration  are: 


MO  LT  K E .      B  \-  S ;  ■. '  n .  I ■  r  W i '.  ^  1 1 ;  .<  m. 
JUDAS  MACCAB.'EUS.      By  Israel 

Alirahanis. 
SOBIESKI.     By  F.  A.  Pollard. 
ALFRED  THE  TRUTHTELLER. 

B\-  i*' rede  nek  Perry. 
FREDERICK     IL       By     A.     L. 

Snrith. 
MARLBOROUGH.       By  C.  W.  C. 

Oman. 


RICHARD  THE  LION-HEARTED 

By  T.  A.  Archer. 
WILLIAM    THE    SILENT.       By 

Ruth  Putnam. 
CHARLES     THE     BOLD.         By 

Rutli  Putnam. 
GREGORY  VII.     Bv  F.  Urquhart. 
MAHOMET.   By  D.  S.  Margoliouth 


New  York-G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS,  Pubushers— London 


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